HOBBS VI The Eye Of The Storm
by Peter Gao
Summary: Separated, the crew of the Vanguard and their comrades must fight their own battles to retake the Alpha Quadrant from the Kraal.


**HOBBS VI – The Eye of the Storm**

"**M**ind the torpedoes!" Screamed CaptH into the gloom of the smoke filled bridge. In front of her Kraal, Romulan, Klingon, and Starfleet ships flew past, making for their own private targets.

"We got a hull breach on deck 12!"

"Seal it off!"

"Captain Hawthorne," Said Admiral Janeway's commanding voice through the ship's comm. System. "Direct your fire at the lead Battlecruiser to Starboard!"

"You heard the lady," said CaptH "PG, transphasic torpedoes, full spread!"

"Aye aye!"

Pinpoints of light, unassuming, streaked out from underneath the Vanguard's saucer section, illuminating the old battle scars this proven ship has received time and time again. They flew precariously past allied ships as they headed for their target.

"Bull's eye!" Said PG as the Kraal Battlecruiser lost a nacelle. "I guess they'll be limping home."

"No time for jokes PG," said CaptH "We got plenty of time for that after the victory. Mr. Ice, hard to port. Take it out!"

The Vanguard A twisted and turned as it somersaulted through the unusual crowdedness of space above the planet Cri'gah. It leveled itself out, its sensors on target. It flew like an eagle over the torn Kraal Battlecruiser, cleanly severing its hopes of returning home.

"That's another one!" Said NAH.

"What's our status?" Wondered CaptH.

"We still have more ships than them. They're not gonna win this unless they pull some miracle out of a hat." Said mcmac with a tinge of amusement in his voice.

On the viewscreen thousands of ship swarmed around each other, the sheer scale of these recent battles struck CaptH about the times she was living in. The self that was prone to exploration was now deep within her, hibernating, waiting for peace. Still, she couldn't help but feel the primitive ways of watching big starships duking it out.

"The Kraal ships are retreating Captain!" Said mcmac.

"We're not gonna let them get away that easy!" Said CaptH. "Let's give them more of an indication of how wrong they were to take over our home! PG, full power to weapons! Drive them back!"

As if the rest of the fleet heard CaptH's orders through the vacuum of space, they all let loose their arsenals, as the tail end of the Kraal fleet was reduced to ashes, and, for the fourth time in 3 months, it was a victory for the Allied forces.

---

Alarms blazed across the floors of the finance building in Tunorous as Kraal guardsmen, equipped with an arsenal of weapons wandered around the building, looking for the most wanted criminals on their precious planet. They peered left and right down the corridors, uneasy about what they might encounter. They have heard about the trio and their ride, which is the name the guardsmen of Kraal Prime have invented to describe the dangerous terrorists that have threatened them time and time again.

"Gotcha!" Said a voice as a phaser beam came out of nowhere and hit a scared guardsman.

Kick ran to the body and swiftly picked up the guard's weapon and sprinted down the corridor. "EWDEE! Boltini!"

As if being summoned, the duo came running around the corner. "All set up." They said in unison.

"Excellent." Said Kick as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a communicator. "GK, we're ready."

A string of phaser fire flew through Kick's hair as another guardsman rounded the corner. "STOP!"

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Said Boltini.

They flew down the corridor, past battered doors and phaser-burned hall panels, once in a while firing at random guardsmen.

"Where the hell is G-" Said Boltini as he disappeared in a shimmer of light.

---

"Welcome back!" Said GK as he starred at the building in front of him. "Everything go well?"

"Take a look for yourself." Said Kick as she pointed at the window.

GK starred at it without wavering as he expertly piloted the Triton City across the skyline of Tunorous. Without warning, the building in front of him shattered like glass and tumbled onto the ground below, while a shockwave blasted apart the area surrounding it.

"Woah!" Said GK. "That's new."

"Yep," said Kick as she sat down beside him "New weapon, works like a charm."

"Can we go now?" Said EWDEE.

"Of course," said GK.

---

Nighttime in Las Vegas was not a very safe environment to be in on its better days, and now that it is being occupied by Kraal armed forces, it is even worse. Dark alleys hide secrets that no one wants to explore or know the truth of. Buildings once condemned for being too loud or outrages are now but shells of their former glory. Debris flitted from street to street with the midnight desert wind. There was no one outside, save for Kraal guards, always on the look out for humans or other forms of Milky Way life forms.

But they were not alone.

Out of the darkest of all alleys was a pair of eyes, watching them. The owner of these eyes has been trained by almost a year of experience to know when to run, and when to hide. He saw the guards look around, shoot a random dog, and then walking away. He breathed a sigh of relief and quietly crept along the deserted street into another alleyway opposite the one that he's been hiding in for over an hour.

He waded quietly through a sea of dank smells and pieces of discarded fruit and clothing. No one ever went through here, not even the Kraal guards; they believed it to be too "vulgar". He apprehensively slid his hand over the walls of the alleyway, trying to distinguish a mark. He almost emitted a sound when he found it.

He put more pressure into his forearms and the piece of wall he was touching slid inward, with a slight snap a small passage way opened beneath him and he carefully slid into it. He rubbed his eyes and quickly rubbed his face with his shirt when he remembered where his hands had been. He glanced around at the white room decorated with nothing but memories of old away missions and secrecy. He walked a short way across the short room and pushed a dusty LCARS embedded in the wall.

"This is Jason Hawthorne," he said.

In a flash four separate beams covered him from head to foot, he smiled a little as the beams scanned around him. He looked around the room, hoping that the system has no malfunctioned and, as a result, he would be vaporized in a few seconds.

The walls in front of him broke apart and a transported pad entered his viewing range. He gently stepped onto it, and looked around the room one last time as he felt the familiar Starfleet transporter beam sweep over him.

---

"Jason!" Said Keyser with a slight hint of tears in his eyes as he saw his son materialize on the transporter pad, "welcome home son!"

Keyser ran up to Jason and held him in a tight bear hug. Jason slowly padded the back of his father and looked at him as he held him back.

"It's good to see you dad." Said Jason calmly.

"This is great, wonderful!" Said Keyser. "I can't believe you've been gone for two months!"

"Me neither…what's been happening around here?"

"A lot of things," said Keyser as they exited the transporter room and walked into a grey-walled corridor, "Alvris is having a baby."

"About time!" Said Jason excitedly. "Are they happy?"

"Oh, they're happy, I'm not though. I don't know why they're having a child when it could be taken away from them so easily."

"People sometimes give into temptations," said Jason "and I bet there was alcohol involved."

Keyser chuckled.

"How's Ann?" Asked Jason.

"She's…alright, I guess. She broke her leg a couple of weeks ago while trying to get some equipment down here."

"Damn…"

"No kidding. The worst thing is that it isn't even healing! I know we don't have the medical facilities down here…"

"…Or even doctors."

"Well," said Keyser with a slight smirk on his face "I won't go that far. George is a pretty good doctor when he stops hyperventilating at the sight of blood."

"Good old George…" Said Jason.

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Jason starred around the corridor as if he was on an academy exchange program and had just newly arrived on a new planet. Keyser noticed this and quickly hid his smile. He was not there to see his son grow up, at least not the way he wanted it to be. He sighed quietly and looked at Jason again. If only he had fought Garibaldi the way he should've, his son might have been normal, could've gotten a good education and had a more comfortable life…

The door in front of him opened onto a small patch of carpeting and sat there on the table in front of that was a man. He was watching the wall to his left in great interest, seeing something that was clearly not there. Once in a while he would smile a bit, or maybe draw something with his finger on the cold hard table.

"Hey Alvris."

The man turned his head abruptly and starred at Jason with a blank expression on his face, which was then quickly replaced by a wide smile. "Jason!"

Jason strode forward and shook Alvris's hands. "Congratulations on the baby."

"You told him?" Said Alvris.

"Of course." Said Keyser.

They all sat down with smiles on their faces, something that has not happened for many an age. Alvris was silent once again.

"Thinking about something Alvris?"

"Oh, yeah," said Alvris, stuttering. "Just thinking about where the crib will go. This compound doesn't really lend itself to much furniture."

"That's what you get for using a Section 31 base," said Keyser. "Alright Jason, down to business, what information did you bring from the central rebel base?"

Jason cleared his throat professionally and took out a PADD from under his coat. "There has been a development," he said "the CRB was able to tap into a Kraal satellite with sensors."

"What did they detect?"

"A Federation scout ship."

Keyser starred wide-eyed at Alvris. "In one piece?"

"Yes, it was under cloak."

"This is the first time a scout ship has come this far without being destroyed." Said Alvris in awe. "What do they want with us?"

"They sent a very short message informing the scout ship that more data is on the way. They want us to help them compile the data to send to the scout ship. They want it ready in twenty-four hours."

"I can do that." Said Alvris.

"That's great. What else?"

"There has been word that another resistance group is being set up on the East coast. They say there are many more people there and has the potential to be a hot spot for the Kraal."

"The more the merrier." Said Keyser. "What do they want us to do?"

"They want us to send a representative over there and work with them, and perhaps set up a dialogue between the coasts. All of their agents are busy, so they want one of us to do it."

Keyser looked hesitantly at Alvris and then at the door to the common room. "Alvris, you think you can hold down the fort while I'm gone?"

"I'm pretty sure I could."

"I'm going."

Keyser starred at Jason unblinkingly at this pronouncement. "What?"

"I want to go." He said.

A subtle smile flitted over Keyser's face. "You're kidding."

"No I'm not," said Jason earnestly. "I've been thinking about it dad. I'm good at this, you know that. Even in the past…when...I mean…I was always good at recon work."

Jason looked sheepishly at Keyser. "You understand dad, don't you? I have to go through this; I have to know what a real challenge is like."

"But you'll get killed!"

"We are in that danger everyday! There's no difference. At least now I can expand my horizons a little. I want to help them dad, all they need is one of you, a leader."

Keyser sighed.

"Mom once said to me that the Hawthorns were leaders, and from seeing you here it looks like it's the same for your side of the family as well."

"But…"

"I want to do this dad."

Keyser looked at Jason with a furrowed brow and was speechless. Ever since Garibaldi's control over him broke, he has been afraid that Jason might be taken away from him. He knew he had been given a second chance to love his son, to raise him like any dad should. He even acted like he needed his help so he had to stay on Earth and start a desk job at Starfleet command. In his darkest moments, he even believed his own schemes.

"You think you can handle it?" Said Alvris.

"I'm sure."

"Let him go," said Alvris to Keyser "If this is his wish…we might as well let him."

Keyser looked from Alvris to Jason unwittingly. Sweat dribbled down his widening forehead. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"The CRB will be informing me of the progress back east, I'll be fine."

"Take PG's shuttle," said Keyser stiffly, "we just modified it with a cloaking device."

"Alright."

Keyser looked at his son again and held out his hand. Jason glanced at it and, without hesitation, placed his on top of it.

"Well," said Keyser, "pack your begs."

---

_Captain's Log, stardate 60194.65: For the fourth time in three months we have quelled the Kraal offensive. It seems they are running out of steam. The crew is in better moral than they have had for months, maybe even since we arrived in Klingon space almost a year ago. We are currently heading to Kel'kagh colony for repairs and mission briefings._

---

Captain Hawthorne sat at a remote table in the new messhall of the Vanguard and happily sipped some coffee. She rarely does this; she usually drinks it in her ready room. However, ever since this messhall was rebuilt, she had felt homely here. The gray walls remained their old gray selves, and the windows didn't change much either. Still, there was something about it that made her like it more than the old one. She looked around, all the other officers were joyfully discussing the day's victory, and how well the war is going for their side. CaptH shrugged, that's probably the reason, she thought.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Said Adam as he sat down opposite her.

"Not at all," she said.

"Everybody seems to be pretty happy about all of this," said Adam as he glanced around "It's as if we've won the war already."

"We're getting close," said CaptH, "four offenses, four defeats, that's got to be a sign."

"No kidding," said Adam. "You know, it doesn't seem to matter that we have the same rank, you still seem to get all the information from the people up top."

"What are you saying?" CaptH said mischievously. "I think they're just used to me commanding this ship…no offense."

"No offense taken, but I was going somewhere with that."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Any hints on what's coming up for us? I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy sitting quietly in Klingon space and defending it…"

"If you're talking about our own offensive…let's just say that we're biding our time."

"Really? So they have something planned?"

CaptH quietly sipped her coffee and looked at the ceiling. "You'll find out soon enough, but believe me; we're not just going to sit here on our butts and contemplate how we're going to protect NAH's Tribbles from the Klingons."

Adam chuckled. "Poor guy, I saw him today, all flustered and tired looking."

"Well, you would be too if your Tribbles keep squeaking during the night."

CaptH smiled and took another sip of her coffee. "It's getting late, ready for a night shift?"

"Slept all day to prepare for it."

"Alright then, you're in command."

"Yes ma'am."

---

Adam and CaptH talked for a long while as they made their way to her quarters. She said her good night and went in. She looked around the room as fast as her drowsy vision would allow her. She bent down and picked up a piece of clothing and put it on the bed as she sat on it as well.

"What a day…" she whispered.

She stretched and yawned and quickly got up and walked to the sink. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned at the slight wrinkles that are creeping up her forehead. With a sigh she bent down and opened the tap and splashed her face with the cool running water.

She sighed again as she looked up at the mirror at the wet face starring back at her. But there was something else.

"Hi Ann."

---

The Kraal called them the Seldom Woods, since people seldom went there. Yet, for two years people have been living there, planning, sleeping, eating, and living their lives as best they could in what they perceived as a war zone.

On this day the trees surrounding the foot of the mountain, where there once was a cave, and now a pile of rocks, shivered and flailed as if pushed by a giant hand wanting to remove them from the earth. At the same time the pile of rocks disappeared and was once again replaced by the cave that has stood there for months before hand.

The winds subsided and eventually died, and once again the cave vanished and was replaced by the pile of rocks that had been the resident of the Seldom Woods.

---

"Whew!" Exclaimed Kick, "what a rush!"

"Yeah…" Said EWDEE.

"I'm gonna check the equipments," said Kick as she dashed off to the back of the cave, "maybe they detected something."

GK turned off the Triton City's engines and stepped off of the small ship just in time to see Kick running towards the lab.

"Quite a lady…"

"What?" Said Boltini, turning his head so fast to look at GK that his neck hurts.

"Oh…nothing."

"It was something…" said EWDEE, a sly smile filling her face. "What's going on between you two anyway?"

"Nothing, honest!"

"You're blushing."

"I," said GK, with an air of man of high-culture "do not blush."

"Do we need to take a picture to prove it or something?"

GK was just about to say something he might regret later when the distinct sound of Kraal aircrafts filtered through the holographic wall behind them. They all went up against the shimmering wall to see it: black ships with white trails of smoke flew through the sky a few thousand meters above them.

"That's, what, the fortieth ship we've seen so far?" Said Boltini.

"At least fifty, I think." Said EWDEE. "I wonder what's going on…"

"Didn't Kick say that the Kraal thinks their planet's going to be destroyed? Maybe they're leaving."

"She also said that they wanted Earth as a new home."

Boltini furrowed his brow. "You don't think…you don't think that Earth has been taken over and they're going go settle there, do you?"

"I doubt it," said GK "I've dealt with the Federation a lot of times, I think they can stand up against the Kraal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, chances are, they formed an alliance or something and the Federation found a new planet for them to colonize."

"The Kraal doesn't seem like the kind of race to form alliances to me…"

"I just wish we could get some data from these Kraal," said EWDEE. "I still can't understand why we can't find any news."

"That is weird," said Boltini. "You would think these people had some news from their war…it's as if they just suddenly _know _what is happening."

"We should try to figure that out one of these days."

"I'VE FOUND IT!"

EWDEE, GK, and Boltini turned to look as Kick came running back to them with a PADD in her hands and a big smile on her face. "I mean…_we_ found it!"

"Found what?" Inquired GK.

"The weapon silly."

GK's cheeks turned red again at this and EWDEE and Boltini had to hide their laughter.

"Ok, here's the thing," said Kick "according to the seismometer that we built, the destruction of that building in Tunorous set off a shockwave across the ground."

"Nothing new there."

"Maybe, but remember that the shockwave travels differently in different rocks and soils." Said Kick excitedly. "Well, here's what the computer told us about the medium that that shockwave went through."

Kick put the PADD on the table and press a few buttons on it. A picture of a simplified version of Tunorous showed up on screen, quickly followed beneath by layers of strata.

"What's this part here?" Said Boltini as he pointed to an empty part of the picture. "Imager broke?"

Kick's smile cracked wider. "Nope, that part means that there are no rocks there, it's a clearing."

"You mean…" EWDEE said "a cave?"

"Precisely!"

"Why haven't we found it before?"

"It's complicated… the thing is that Tunorous is a holy site. According to the Grand Myth, that's where the first, uh, real Kraal landed."

"So?"

"Well, because it's holy, the government never allowed any scanning of the area, I just assumed that, since they decided to land and build the city there, it must be a sturdy place, you know, no underground caves for the buildings to collapse into, stuff like that."

"And you think the weapon's in this cave?" Asked Boltini uncertainly.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's not on the surface and not around the planet up in space, the Kraal would've found it. And this is the largest cave there is, I've pretty much checked out the others."

"How do you know they haven't found the thing yet?"

"Then they wouldn't be waging wars with the Federation now, would they?"

There was a slight silence as the group contemplated this road of thinking.

"Are we sure that they're fighting because of the myth?" Asked GK.

"Better not think that way," said Kick "if we do, we'll be back at square one."

"Alright," said EWDEE, "let's say you're right and the weapon, whatever it is, is in that cave. How do we get there?"

"Presumably some caves do lead into it," said Kick as she pressed a few more buttons on the PADD, causing the picture to turn into a different version of the underground of Tunorous. "As you can see on this Kraal version, there are three caves that end near the city. It's possible that they actually lead to the giant cavern, and they just don't show it."

She motioned the picture with her finger. "This is the nearest entrance to these caves, it's about one hundred kilometers away."

Kick starred up at them, almost trying to convince them to go with her mind. "So…"

"What, you want us to go now?"

"Kinda…"

"But we're tired!" Said Boltini.

"Well," said GK, "I wouldn't mind, but if they're not up to it…"

Kick glanced at her friends and sighed.

"We can go tomorrow…"

Kick sighed a little. "Alright then, get a good night sleep; we leave for the caves first thing tomorrow morning!"

---

Another day ended on the planet Earth as a red sunset sank beneath the cloudbanks hovering over the ocean. Of course, not many enjoyed this considering that curfew had started. The streets are eerily empty; pieces of garbage lay here and there, unattended. Once in a while a person would sneak around a corner, and if he were lucky enough, he would make it home on time to enjoy the end of his days. But most of the time, they are not so lucky.

Doors opened along empty streets and hundreds of Kraal guards came out, wielding phaser rifle and looking around, blank faced. This was their job: kill all and any people that are out past curfew. This has been their routine for almost a year now, ever since Starfleet command was taken. Each and every one of them remember that day, whether they were on the ships, one of the troops that were transported down, or one of the citizens who stayed behind and was just recently transferred over to their new home.

They all remembered.

As they walked around they barely glanced up at the now ashen-colored Starfleet Headquarters, where their leader sat, looking over files after files of information.

---

Red light poured through the windows of General Barose's office as he looked over at a pile of PADDs on his desk. He had looked through almost each and every one of them, and they were all the same: a raid here, a riot there, and a civil disobedience way over there. It just goes on and on.

He sighed again as he rubbed his eyes in fatigue and glanced around at his bookcase, and at the statue of Horac the warrior whose polished surface reflected that of the red sunset. He shook off his tiredness and returned to the PADDs.

He has had enough. He never wanted this job, no matter how much it seemed like that to his staff. He knows how he acts around them, as if he was a great military leader that everyone should worship. It's as if a switch in his head is flicked on whenever he is in front of people. No one but him seem to realize that, beneath the metals and the coat, he was just a normal man with a normal family who wants to return home, and enjoy life while it lasts.

He put down the PADD gently and looked around. He then opened a drawer and pulled out another PADD. He glanced at it with a slight smile on his face and turned it on. The smile spread wider across his face as a laughing Kraal female starred back at him with a boy at her side. Mountains covered in green and a sky of blue formed the pristine background. He pushed another button and a lake appeared on it, with a young boy splashing around in the water, while another boy tried to splash him. He starred at his happy sons as a small tear dribbled down his face.

The door chimed.

Barose quickly wiped his eyes and turned off the PADD. "Come in."

"Sir?"

"Ah, Major Taurs, any news?"

"Nothing specific sir," said Taurs, "I do have another report, this one's about a riot in Florida."

Barose took the PADD reluctantly and looked at it with a blank look on his face. Even the words were the same. He breathed in quickly and threw the PADD on the table. In an instant, the picture of his wife and son glowed back at him.

Barose tried to reach over to fix his mistake but Taurs was too quick. He grabbed it and took it in his hands.

"This is your family I presume Sir?"

Barose sighed. "Yes, that's my wife and my elder son."

"Are they here?"

"No," Barose said bitterly, "they've decided to be the last ones to leave…personally I don't blame them, it's difficult to leave one's home behind."

"I agree sir, but I've long convinced myself that this is our new home, that we have to forget the old home in order to function properly."

"That might be a good philosophy to follow Major, but it's not for me I'm afraid."

Barose got up slowly and strode to the bookcase, looking at each level of old, dust-covered books. "I got these back home; I thought I might need some reading material on the way here."

He turned to Taurs. "I haven't read any of them."

"Well," said Taurs "You are a busy man."

"That's not the point," said Barose as he sat down again "Whenever I open those books, the smell of them, the look of the paper, the text, all remind me of home…I can't stand it Taurs."

"I'm sorry sir."

"All I ever wanted was to find a new home for my people, where it's safe…I don't see that happening any time soon."

"There were bound to be resistance sir, that part is unavoidable. We'll be just fine…"

"Are you always this optimistic Major?"

"I have to be."

They were silent for a moment, each of them thinking about their lives back home, where they might be vacationing in the Arebiric Mountains, or the seas of Glan, or spending time with their family.

"Oh right, I forgot," said Taurs "there was something else."

"Go on."

"Two days ago one of our satellites had a momentary blackout."

"Get a technician on it."

"Yes sir…and another thing."

"Yes?"

"We've detected a Federation scout ship; it's cloaked and it's getting close to Earth."

Barose bolted upright out of his seat. "Federation scout ship?"

"Yes sir, shall we destroy it?"

"No!" Said Barose as he got up. "I think one is connected to the other…"

"What do you mean?"

"I want a complete system analysis of the satellite…think about it Taurs, what does the resistance want? They want contact with Starfleet, to tell them that they're working on the inside…and what better way to do this than through a simple scout ship? This is absolutely perfect; the scout ship will come here, thinking that we haven't detected it, and receive information through one of our satellites. Then we'll have them! We could track that signal and would finally be able to track down the resistance groups…"

"How can we be sure of that?"

"We can't," said Barose smartly "but we must consider it as a theory…I want more energy being put to use scanning the planet for any kind of signals. Also, send some ships to intercept the Scout ship, but don't destroy it! Make it seem like normal patrolling, we don't want them suspicious."

"Yes sir."

"Don't forget to monitor the satellites."

"Of course sir."

"Dismissed."

Barose starred at the red sunset as Taurs exited the room. For months now he had avoided doing this. The sunset had been too much for him, too close to home. Still, this was overwhelmed by the joy he felt at the moment, knowing that in a few days; all his problems might just be gone.

---

"You in?" Asked mcmac dangerously.

PG starred at him with narrow eyes and ground his teeth. He starred down at this hand and sighed.

"Are you in or what?"

He sighed again. "I fold."

"Haha!" Said mcmac. "Come to papa!"

Nibbles and Kaitz starred on as mcmac swept a pile of replicated plastic pellets towards him as he hummed a nameless tune.

"I can't believe we're playing poker while we're fighting a war" said Nibbles.

"But it's tradition!" Said PG. "Whoa, Déjà vu."

"Yeah…" said Kaitz "didn't we have this exact conversation last year or something?"

"Some things never change," muttered mcmac.

They were all silent for a moment, while the only sounds are those made by the ever slowing pace of mcmac's shuffling. They all knew why they did this; it was EWDEE who made that comment last year.

"Can we rest a bit?" Said NAH sleepily.

"You know," said Ice "if you're tired, you should just stop playing and go to sleep."

"And go home to a bunch of angry Tribbles! No way!"

"Heh…"

"What are you laughing at?"

"Just, you seem to have the funniest problems." Said Nibbles.

"Oh, it's funny alright. Haven't had a good night's sleep in…uh…"

NAH slowly lifted up his hands and started to count off his fingers. "Ah who cares."

"I think it's about time you get rid of those things." Said Kaitz.

Alertness pulsed through NAH. "Don't you ever say that! Remember, they saved our lives three and a half years ago!"

Kaitz quickly brought out a PADD from her belt and pressed a few times on it. "Ok, final tally, forty-seven times."

"Huh?"

"She means," said Nibbles. "This is the forty-seventh time you mentioned that incident-"

"-As a reason why you won't get rid of those chew toys." Said PG.

"You kept count!"

"Of course."

NAH rubbed his eyes and opened them. "I got to get myself some new friends."

"We're right here, you know?" Said mcmac as he started dealing out the cards for a fresh round.

"I thought we're taking a break?" Said Ice.

"No, just listening to NAH whining about Tribbles."

"Hey! They saved our lives-"

"forty-eight"

NAH sighed.

"You really should get some rest, why don't you take my quarters or something?" Offered PG.

"No thanks, I can't sleep in anyone else's quarters."

"You slept on the Dublin, didn't you?"

"No, but how I tried!"

NAH took his cards from his little pile in front of him and starred at them unblinkingly. "What game are we playing again?"

"Poker."

"Oh right."

"Ok, that's it, someone sedate him. We're taking him to sickbay for a good night's sleep."

---

CaptH stood there, leaning against her sink as she starred on at the man who was standing mere feet in front of her. He was dressed completely in black and his hair was gelled back. He had a very mournful air around him, as if he was always the deliverer of bad news and was just doing his day job. His mouth slowly cracked into a slight smile. It seemed like he hasn't done this in quite a long time.

"How are you?" He said.

CaptH wiped her face hurriedly with her sleeve and quickly pulled out a phaser from beside her sink and pointed at the man. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The smile on the man grew wider. "You still got it Ann," he said happily "don't you recognize me?"

Ann starred at the man unblinkingly, and then it dawned on her. She had seen him before. "Terry?"

"About time."

CaptH lowered her phaser and smiled. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has my friend."

CaptH put the phaser snugly back into its holder beside the sink. "How's the Section?"

The smile disappeared from Terry's face. "Not well…I can't say too much, but…well…"

"I can see why there could be a problem, what with the Earth being taken over and everything."

"It's the first time we failed on such a large scale," said Terry "And it's all because…well, let's just say that my superiors are rather busy with something else, and that something else is not what I call 'urgent'."

"Really?"

"Unfortunately. Things are going bad in the Section."

"They are at least trying to get Earth back, right?"

"Well, in a way this 'something else' is a way to get Earth back yes, but I don't put much hope in it."

CaptH sighed.

"Anyway, that's not what I'm here for."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I'm here to tell you a couple of things. First of all, Keyser and Jason are fine."

CaptH did not expect this. It has dawned on her many times what she had left behind back on Earth, and she has never went one day without thinking about them, hoping that they would be safe. But lately, she's been busy, so busy in fact that the thought of their safety seemed to have evaporated out of her mind. This fact hit her hard, and for a split second her expression showed this.

"That's great," she said. "I knew they had it in them."

"They sure do. I've been checking on them since the Kraal took over."

"That's awfully nice of you...what happened? Did the boss finally yell at you for being a jerk?"

Terry smirked. "I knew you still got it. Anyway, it just felt right, you know? Besides, it's my way of paying an old friend back for what I did to him."

"Keyser?"

"Yes, but I would rather not talk about it right now."

"Alright."

Terry starred at the floor as the air of bad news deliverer surrounded him once more.

"You know," said CaptH trying to break the silence "I always wondered why all my contacts disappeared a year ago."

"Oh that, yeah, the superiors thought that you were too loyal to Starfleet."

"Heh…that always seems to be my fault, isn't it?"

"It appears that way…"

There was silence once more between the two old colleagues.

"Oh right, I forgot what I was supposed to tell you."

CaptH rolled her eyes. "That's not very professional, is it?"

"Quiet." Said Terry jokingly. "Ok, here's the deal. Tomorrow, a cargo ship will bring a bunch of parts for the refit of the Vanguard."

"Ok."

"Among those parts are some new engine coils, a new auxiliary defector dish, and a few spare parts for the normal deflector dish."

"Great."

"They're not what they seem Ann" said Terry sharply. "They are actually pieces for a prototype Quantum slipstream drive and a weapon."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Why?"

"You'll know soon enough, you'll have a meeting with the top brass of Starfleet sometime tomorrow to discuss this mission."

"Let me guess…I can't tell my crew about it?"

"All they will know is that they'll have to fix some stuff onto the engines and the deflectors."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I…we thought you might want to know some of it before you face the Starfleet brass, you know, to think it over."

CaptH sighed. "Why all the secrecy? Why can't I tell my crewmembers?"

"Ann, this is an incredibly important mission, you have to make sure they don't find out until the last minute."

"Why?"

"Because we can't let them back out! You will need all the crewmen you have, you can't afford to have them mutinying because of this."

"What kind of mission is this!"

"You'll know soon."

CaptH sighed again. "This is ridiculous…what kind of weapon is it?"

"It's Thaleron."

"What!" CaptH screamed "What am I suppose to do with that!"

"I told you! This is why you can't tell your crew members!"

"I'll have no part in this!"

"You don't understand this Ann! This is for Earth! You have to do this…for Keyser, for Jason-"

"I don't think they would want me to kill a bunch of people!"

"You have to Ann! This is war! There will be bloodshed!"

CaptH clinched her fist and sat on her bed, sweat running down her forehead.

"I'm sorry Ann…everything will be made clear at the meeting tomorrow."

"Alright, fine…we'll see what happens."

"That's the spirit…"

CaptH looked up at Terry as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Well, it was nice seeing you again Ann."

"Same here…I guess."

With a bright flash Terry disappeared with a remorseful look on his face, leaving Ann alone in her room, her world a whole lot more complicated than before.

---

The sun rose slowly over the jagged mountain ridges along side the Nevada desert as another day arrived on planet Earth. Cities nearby bustled with the activity of Kraal guards and officials, as well as new arrivals getting adjusted to their new home. Out in the desert, all was calm, a good place to visit and even to camp out for some of the Kraal who had never seen such a wide expanse of sand.

What they didn't know was that this desert was not as innocent as they would like it to be. A few meters below ground there thrived a station, a base, stronghold of the Earth resistance, bent on making sure every last Kraal gets off this planet.

The largest chamber in this base is the shuttlebay. For years it stood empty as the last wave of Section 31 made their leave. It gathered dust and rodents, never realizing that one day it will be used again.

The door to this cavernous chamber opened and in walked Jason and a worried Keyser, telling him all he knew about the new cloaking device onboard the USS Fraser.

"…It's fairly new…I already said all I know, but I just want you to know that it might suddenly fail in the middle of flight, and-"

"Don't worry dad," said Jason with a slight smile. "I'll be fine; I'm not totally inexperienced you know."

"That's right…"

Jason stepped up to the Fraser and looked at it in pride. "She looks surprisingly clean."

"Yeah, we had her cleaned for your trip."

Jason turned to look at his father. There were grey hairs in his scalp among droplets of sweat as he tried to seem encouraging. Of course Jason saw right through that, he knew that Keyser was extremely worried.

He placed his hand on Keyser's shoulders and hugged him lightly. "I'll be fine dad, promise. You'll see."

"I'm proud of you, son."

"Keep the place in one piece now!" Said Jason as he heaved his baggage into the runabout and climbing in himself. "Hopefully I can get this transmitter installed over there and we can see each other in a few days."

"Let's hope so…"

Jason starred at his father one last time and closed the door gently. He sniffed rather loudly and sat in the chair that he and Ann sat in not one year ago. He pressed a few buttons and the familiar, yet unfamiliar sound of the engine started to grow. Outside he could see Keyser running to the front of the ship and waving at him. He smiled at his father and saluted him. Before he knew it the ship was off of the ground, and his father slowly disappeared under the bow of the vessel.

Keyser stood there and kept waving, his heart beating fast, almost painful. He watched as the runabout lifted off of the ground and into one of the launching tunnels before disappearing from view.

---

The Triton City cruised over the landscape of Kraal Prime, once in a while intercepting a Kraal ship heading in some random direction.

"Thank goodness we have the cloak…" said Boltini.

"You said it."

The ship started to descend as they neared their destination. Directly in front of them lay Tunorous, gleaming in the sunlight, seemingly harmless. The ship continued to lower, through cloud layers and trees, until finally landing near a rocky clearing surrounded by a forest.

Kick, EWDEE, and Boltini came bouncing out of the ship, excited of the discovery they are about to uncover.

"Alright, so the plan is set," said Kick "EWDEE, Boltini, and I will go down to the caves, GK, I want you to take a look at all this Kraal traffic that's all over the place, see where they're all going."

"Yes ma'am!" GK replied.

EWDEE and Boltini snickered.

"You have twelve hours GK, after which we will meet you here."

"What if we got the wrong cave entrance?" Asked EWDEE.

"We'll just have to wait for GK to come back I'm afraid" said Kick "it's too dangerous to hail him this close to Tunorous."

Kick looked around her to make sure no one has a problem. "Everything good?"

"Yep"

"No problem."

"Alright with me."

"Ok then," said Kick excitedly. "See you around GK. The rest of you, let's head for the cave entrance."

---

"You look terrible," said PG.

NAH looked up at him with bloodshot eyes and yawned. "Well….well, you will be too if your Tribbles started to attack you while you sleep."

"They attacked you!" Said TC.

"Yep, finally got a good slumber going and the next thing I know there were a bazillion furballs all over my face."

"That's horrible!"

"Yeah…it's alright though, what with them sa…I mean, nevermind."

"Almost forty-nine there." Said mcmac.

They all heard the door to the turbolift open as a tired looking CaptH walked out of it. She looked at them and smiled weakly.

"Did you get a good night's sleep captain?" Asked NAH weakly.

"You could say that I suppose."

TC glanced down at his console as it beeped. "We're being hailed by Spacedock command…they say they are ready for the refit."

CaptH paused and looked at him. For a split second a thought came to her, telling her to tell them all the truth, to reveal everything and let them deal with it, think about it.

"Tell Jim to get a start on it."

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh and Captain," said mcmac. "We got a message from Command, they want to see you."

"Did they say why?"

"No."

CaptH sighed heavily and headed for the door. "You have the bridge Adam."

---

The walk from the shuttlebay to the rest of the compound was a slow one for Keyser. He kept thinking about what might happen to Jason. He might get shot down, discovered…maybe it was all a rouse…what if he gets killed over there because they don't cooperate… He realized that he could not stop these thoughts; there is no barrier within his mind to block these scenarios from reaching the part of his mind that told him to give a damn.

Keyser stopped and instinctively looked at a door to the left of him, it was Ann's room. He lightly rapped on the door and heard a quiet "come in" coming from the inside. He tapped the controls on the side of the door slowly, his mind lost in thought.

"Hey Keyser," said Ann as she tried to support herself with her elbow on her bed. "Is Jason gone?"

"Yeah…"

"Sit down."

Keyser pulled himself over to Ann's bed and sat on it, "he is a brave boy."

"He sure is, just like his father."

"How very cliché of you."

"Clever."

Keyser chuckled a little. "I just hope he will be safe, I mean…I don't know what I was thinking allowing him to go like this."

"You're thinking for him, for his freedom" said Ann "I know you might not want to hear this, hell, I don't want to say it, but I think it's about time you leave him alone a bit, let him explore the world by himself."

Keyser turned and looked at Ann sadly.

"I told you you wouldn't like to hear it."

"I guess you're right," said Keyser "I just don't want to let him go…I owe him so much in life, so much."

"Of course, but this is a way to pay off the debt. Let him think for a while, before you know it, he'll be back."

Keyser took Ann's hand in his and looked at her with a smile on his face. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it" said Ann "I knew I was a good counselor."

"Keyser Soze," blazed the comm. System "please report to the communications room."

Keyser got up briskly. "They must be ready to sent the message to the scout ship."

"Good luck."

"You got any messages you'd like to send?"

"Oh no…although, you could tell my double that her son is a little like Wesley Crusher."

---

"We're ready sir" said Alvris as he watched over sensor data.

"The scout ship?" Asked Keyser.

"In orbit, its cloak's gotta be perfect; I don't know how the Kraal could detect it."

"Good. The data?"

"All in the computer. It's one push of a button away."

Alvris smiled. "This is pretty exciting, isn't it?"

"It sure is…is all the family letters in there too?"

"You bet."

"Have you read any of them?"

"Only my wife's"

Keyser laughed. "That's not very nice."

"I won't tell if you won't."

"Deal. Send the data."

"Yes sir!"

---

"Sir! We got a signal spike in southern Nevada!" Said a Kraal guard as he watched a bright dot flash over a map.

"Wonderful" said Barose "inform the troops, we move out tonight."

Barose looked at the flashing dot and grinned. This was all coming together, he thought.

---

Boltini coughed as he tried to look through the gloom of the cave. EWDEE and Kick followed close behind with lights. It didn't take them long to find the entrance to the cave, which was a simple opening with a sheet of grass covering the entrance. It almost seemed to be a door of some kind, a theory greatly enjoyed by Kick, since that would mean that this was indeed some sort of entrance.

"Can I get a little more light here?" Asked Boltini.

"Alright," said Kick "You know, it's too bad that you lost yours."

"Ok, that WILL be the last time we talk about how I forgot to bring a light!"

They kept crawling along, the dust rubbing off of the walls and onto their clothes. The ceiling was getting lower and the air was getting danker.

"Hey, look at this."

Boltini and Kick turned around carefully and faced EWDEE. "What is it Kith?"

"Look at the walls…"

Kick focused her light at the walls and her eyes popped open. "Cave paintings!"

There on the cave were red and blue drawings. There were men running around, digging; men building a structure of some sorts. A slight smile flickered over Kick's dusty face.

"I think we might be getting close…"

"Let's keep going."

They crawled and crawled, while at the same time looking at the walls of the cave now filling up with cave paintings of the everyday life of the natives, whoever they were.

"Uh oh…" Said Boltini.

"What?"

"I think…I think we may have a problem."

Kick squinted and pointed her light directly in front of Boltini. "A dead end?"

"What!" Screamed EWDEE from the back.

"No..." said Kick "this can't be. Move over Boltini!"

Kick narrowly squeezed herself around Boltini. "No way…."

"Dammit!" Exclaimed Boltini "great, let's head back…"

"No wait!" Said Kick "hold on…"

"Kick," said EWDEE "we might as well go, no point hanging out in a dead end."

"Wait!" Said Kick frustratingly. "I knew it, look at this!"

She reached into the ground and lifted up a shell of hay covered in dust. She coughed as it permeated the area. "Look at this…"

"Is that a lid?"

"A doorway!" Said EWDEE.

"What's in it?"

Kick shined her light into it. "I…don't know. Whatever it is, it's a long way from us."

"Now what?"

"Well, I guess we'll just have to get in there."

"Do we have to?"

"Think about it Boltini," said Kick "why the cave paintings? Why the grass covering? Why this second grass covering?"

"You think this is it?"

"Definitely."

EWDEE sighed. "Well, we came this far…"

"Alright!" Said Kick "be careful, follow me."

Kick sat on the edge of the hole and starred into it, her heart pumping faster every moment. She lowered herself into it, biceps straining as she tried to feel a side to the vertical tunnel.

"This is pretty deep…"

She looked at Boltini and then looked down into the abyss beneath her. "Follow my voice."

"What?"

With a swift move Kick let go off of the sides and slid into the hole, screaming at the same time. Boltini looked at the horrifying expression on EWDEE's face and both understood.

"Ladies first."

"Gee, thanks Nick"

EWDEE slowly slid herself into it, followed by Boltini. Right away they knew they were at a place that no one has been to for a long time. Cold air rushed by them as they slid along surprisingly smooth bedrock. Kick's voice started to fade into the distance as they kept falling.

"This is fun!" Screamed Boltini.

In the distance a splashing noise met the ears of Boltini, quickly followed by another splash. With instinct he closed his eyes and held his breath. Within seconds cold water enveloped itself around him, making his chest shrink. He gargled as water crept into his lungs.

"Ah!" he screamed as he broke the surface of the frigid lake. "COLD!"

"Boltini!"

"Nick?"

"Kith! Kick!"

All they heard were their own voices and the splashing of the dark water. They did not see anything. All around them was darkness; no light crept in, no cracks on the ceiling or walls of the massive chamber they were now in.

"Gotcha!" Said EWDEE as she grabbed Boltini around his shoulder. "Boltini?"

"No, I'm Kick."

"Funny." Said EWDEE dryly. "Come on, Kick's gotten to the shore, I think it's this way."

EWDEE let go of Boltini but made sure they were together. They swam and swam across the cold lake, until finally they felt their feet touch the rugged lakebed.

"You guys alright?" Asked an invisible Kick.

"Fine," said EWDEE. "Where are you?"

"Right in front of you…I think."

"Hey guys…" said Boltini "what's this?"

"Huh?"

Boltini flailed his hands around the shore in blindness. "There this weird hard bit here."

"It's called rocks Boltini."

"That's hilarious. No no, it feels…almost metallic."

He felt its smoothness and saw none of it. With irritation he banged on it, hoping for something to happen. Something did happen. The hard patch underneath Boltini fingers suddenly lit up, illuminating his wet face and goosebumps-covered skin. It also lit up EWDEE's and Kick's stunned faces as they looked at the small rectangular patch of eerie-silver light.

"What…what is it?"

As if almost in answer a crack of light broke the ground around the rectangle and started to lead away from them, away from the lake. It twisted and turned, more streaks of light branching off.

"You better get out of the lake Nick" Said EWDEE as she offered her hand to him.

"Thanks," said Boltini "what the hell was that?"

Ghostly shapes swam into view as the light tendrils made their way across the vast expanse of the chamber. They can make out houses, fences, even streets as their ethereal outlines were revealed.

"Whoa…" said Boltini.

For more than a minute they stood still and were stunned as the shapes started emerging out of the gloomy dark, their breath still trapped within their shrunken, cold lungs. Then they saw it: in the distance the tendrils reappeared, climbing some sort of spire as it rose above them. They did not know how high it was going to go, but the mere twisting of their motion, like vines, hypnotized them.

The tendrils climbed and climbed and split into two branches, which then stopped. EWDEE, Boltini, and Kick held their breath as they waited for what's going to happen next. More tendrils of energy erupted between the two branches, connecting them, and in the center a flash of light encased them all.

They all shielded their eyes, and when they opened them, they were stunned beyond belief for in front of them was a city, a massive expanse of ruined houses and dusty streets under a rocky ceiling. The wall of the giant chamber glowed a strange white, milky glow as filament of energy slowly flew towards them and was absorbed. Directly ahead was the spire, the tower. It was incased in obsidian, or something that looked very much like it. It lorded over the ghost town, its summit, almost touching the ceiling of the cave, was shrouded, barely visible in the form of two spikes around a bright, glowing orb, all the time shrinking and growing, every time shedding a layer of light that expanded and filled the space around them.

"Oh my God…" said EWDEE, "what is this place?"

"I…I don't know" said Kick as she tried to take her eyes off of the spectacle and failing spectacularly.

"What…uh…what do we do now?"

EWDEE shook her head quickly and pulled out her tricorder. "Thank goodness it's water proof," she said. "Ok, according to this, the walls of this chamber are made up of some kind of chemical."

"Let me guess," said Boltini "it glows when it absorb those…those flying sheets of energy?"

"It appears so. I think it glows when it absorbs any kind of energy. According to this, if there isn't enough energy, energy strands transmit whatever is left across the entire ceiling…it'll probably look like moving stars or something."

"Another fun fact," said Boltini.

"Yep," said EWDEE. "I'm also detecting what seems to be a metal shield right above the ceiling…I think it's able to reflect solar energy."

"Hmm," thought Kick, "if solar energy can reach down here, it means that when the sun's up, these walls would be glowing?"

"I think so," said EWDEE. "That would mean that this place will have night and day…not sure why they put a shield on top though."

"Maybe they wanted to make sure the cave stays dark so the Kraal can't detect its energy signature?" Said Boltini.

"Maybe…Hey, wait a second, I can't scan inside that tower."

"Looks like we got our next target" said Kick, finally taking her eyes off of the scene in front of her. "Let's go."

With hesitation they started towards the tower. They walked and walked, while all the time looking around them and admiring the glowing walls, the dark innards of the gutted houses, or the floating sheets of energy that was being cast off by the central orb that made time stand still with their slow and majestic movements.

"Ouch!"

EWDEE and Kick turned around at once and glanced at Boltini. "What's wrong?"

Boltini slowly turned his head downwards and saw a piece of metal jutting out of the ground. He bent down and picked it up gently and dusted off.

"What is that?" Asked EWDEE.

"I don't know…" said Boltini as he turned it around in his hands. Something about it was very familiar.

"It just reads as an ordinary piece of metal from here."

"Throw it away," said Kick "come on."

They started for the tower again as Boltini pushed the piece of metal into his pocket. He looked around and started walking as well. They kept walking, the tower looming ever larger in front of them, and ever taller.

"Wow…"

They all stopped and looked ahead: in front of them was a massive circular chasm that surrounded the tower, extending at least two-hundred meters below them were rocks, ramps, even machinery. A narrow, guardrail-less bridge connected them and the threshold of the tower.

"Looks like some kind of mine," said Kick.

"That bridge doesn't look very solid."

"It is," said EWDEE as she scanned it. "It looks like it's been encased in some sort of special metal…same as the tower."

"This place just keeps getting weirder" Said Boltini.

"Alright, nothing for it," said Kick "just…don't fall."

"Good advice"

The three of them lined up in single file and stepped onto the bridge, it seemed solid enough, thought Boltini. They kept walking, once in a while looking off of the side and into the solid ground below. This quickly reminded them to not do that.

A few minutes later, they were across and onto a large landing in front of a massive gate. They looked around them, they were still overwhelmed by all of this.

"Now what?"

"Can you open the door?"

Boltini looked at the door and a strange look came to his face. "It's already opened…"

"What?"

"Yeah, look, it's opened."

Kick and EWDEE ran to the massive gate and looked at it. "That's odd."

"Let's get in there" Said Kick.

The three pushed with all they could muster at the massive gate. It creaked and shook as it started to swing open. They peeked inside, there was an ephemeral light coming from somewhere.

"Anything?" Asked Boltini as he saw EWDEE checking her tricorder.

"Nope," said EWDEE as she closed the tricorder "I think we just have to go in."

They looked at each other nervously. "Well," said Kick "we've done it before…"

"Alright…"

They slipped through the partially opened gate and turned on their flashlights. The passageway they were in was coated with the same black and shiny material that was on the tower and the bridge. The passageway twisted and turned.

And then, it was gone. They could hear their footsteps echo as they again entered a dark chamber. They flitted their lights around and saw vague shapes on the opposite wall. A very faint light was coming from the ceiling.

"Where is that light coming from?" Asked Boltini.

"Maybe from that orb? Maybe it filters through the top or something?" Said EWDEE.

"Now what?" Asked Kick.

They all heard it, and at once they all turned their heads and looked at the wall opposite them. The chamber lit up as light source after light source rumbled into life once more. Confused and stunned looks crept again onto EWDEE, Kick, and Boltini's faces as they saw what they faced: a giant computer.

"What the hell!" Said Boltini as he starred at the massive wall facing them, covered in instruments and strange glowing light.

"Tricorder doesn't work in here…" said EWDEE as she sighed.

Boltini walked towards the wall, it reminded him of his days when he was in Garibaldi's lab, only bigger. He came to a swirling light source that danced before him. It glowed brighter and brighter, he had to squint to be able to see it clearly.

"Nick?"

Boltini walked closer at the brightening light.

"Nick!"

The dancing light quickly focused itself into a point right in front of Boltini and flew out of the device, striking Boltini in the middle of his forehead. He didn't make a sound but simply collapsed backwards onto the floor.

"Nick!"

EWDEE ran to Boltini as he lay there, motionless. She sat down beside him and felt his pulse, all the time not noticing the gradual decrease of the loudness of the sound of the machine immediately beside her. She removed her hand from his wrist and sighed.

"What's wrong with him?" Asked Kick alarmingly.

"Nothing…" said EWDEE. "I…I don't understand."

Kick starred up at the machine as its lights started to dim, while the lights shining upon it stayed strong. "Come on; let's move him out of here…"

A noise awoke them as the doors on the opposite side of the chamber closed with a bang. EWDEE got up slowly and walked up to it, all the time knowing what had happened.

"Is it…"

"Closed?" Said EWDEE. "Yes."

"Great…" said Kick. "Now what?"

"Now," said EWDEE as she looked gravely at the unconscious Boltini. "Now we see what's in store for us…and see if we can wake him up."

---

"Keyser?"

"Hmm?"

"What did I just say?" Said Alvris exasperatingly.

"Something about frogs?"

"I don't even know where you got _that_ one from."

Keyser sighed slowly and pulled his wrinkled elbows off of the staff room table and looked at his friend, his brow in a perpetual furrow. "I'm just thinking."

"No kidding."

"Ok fine, what were you going on about?"

"Well, I was going to talk to you about my wife's strange cravings for…frogs…hey, maybe you were listening."

"Nope."

"Alright then. Well, she wants some frog legs. Women, gotta love 'em."

"Yep."

Alvris starred at Keyser worryingly as he turned away from him, lost in thought. "Is it Jason?"

"What else can it be?"

"He's an adult Keyser, he can handle himself."

"Maybe…"

"You have to have more faith in your son my friend."

Both Alvris and Keyser sat up straight as the alarm bells went off around them. Keyser watched as Alvris cringed and put his hands around his head, eyes screwed up through the noise.

"BOY THIS IS LOUD!" Shouted Alvris.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

"I THINK WE BETTER GO TO THE CONTROL ROOM!"

---

By the time Keyser and Alvris showed up at the control room the alarm was barely a nuisance. In front of them technicians and soldiers ran around in every which way as half of them glanced at the sensor screen.

"What's going on?" Asked Keyser.

"We got a problem sir," said a young ensign. "I'm detecting a Kraal ground vessel heading for our location."

"Could they have detected us?" Said Alvris.

"It's definitely a possibility."

"We have to get out of here."

"No time." Said Keyser decisively. He sighed again and put his hands on the young ensign's shoulders. "Open a comm. channel to the entire compound."

"Aye sir."

"This is Keyser Soze," he said loudly "prepare for battle."

---

CaptH marched through the corridors of the new Starfleet HQ, seemingly older than the previous incarnation. CaptH knew why, and liked the novelty aspect it. She has been through these halls many times since the invasion a year ago, and she never gets tired of the occasional growls of a targ, or the typical Klingon art that hangs over the grates on the walls. This station, which once was a weapon against the hated Federation at the time before the Kitomer accords, was old. Still, it was kept in shape for all these years, like the Klingon culture, thought CaptH.

She took the long way to the meeting room where she was suppose to discuss the upcoming secret mission with the Admirals, hoping to be late so they'll throw her out. Alas, no luck. CaptH stood still in front of the door leading to the meeting room, her finger hovering over the door opener. She sighed and pressed the button.

"Captain," said Admiral Janeway as she displayed her crooked smile at her. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here Admiral." Said CaptH formally.

"I believe you know Admiral Jenkins and Admiral Davies?"

"Yes ma'am." Said CaptH as the two elderly admirals bowed their heads slightly.

"And this is Admiral Black."

The faint smile that was hovering over CaptH's face vanished. "Carter?"

"You know each other?"

"Of course," said Admiral Black smoothly. "We use to work together."

"Section 31 I presume?"

"Indeed." Said Black as he rounded onto CaptH. "How have you been Ann? Still gallivanting around the galaxy?"

CaptH bit her lip slightly. "Yes."

"Wonderful."

"Admiral Black is acting as the Section 31 liaison on this council," said Admiral Janeway. "Everything said in this room is confidential. Let's begin."

AdmJ picked up a PADD lightly and looked through it. "Now, Captain, what you received today as part of the refit-"

"She knows." Cut in Black.

"Does she?"

"I do Admiral." Said CaptH blankly.

"How?"

"I had one of my men tell her, to prepare for this meeting."

"I see…" said Admiral Janeway. "Well then, let's just skip to the important parts. Captain, your mission is to use the Quantum slipstream drive and journey to Kraal Prime. Once there, you will use your Thaleron weapon on the planet."

CaptH can see the unease in Admiral Janeway as she said this.

"Do you understand captain?"

"Yes." Said CaptH calmly.

She didn't show it because she never felt it. It was as if all her morals went into hiding the moment she heard 'Kraal Prime'. She knew deep down, that this is genocide and that she should not be cooperating. But somehow, the anger she felt the night before when she first heard of this was gone, she was deflated. She didn't care one bit if the entire Kraal race just disappeared from the face of the universe.

"Your crew must not find out about this until you launch." Said Admiral Davies.

"Ok."

The Admirals all starred at each other with a sigh of relief. "Well, if this is over," said Admiral Janeway anxiously "I would like to talk with Captain Hawthorne alone for a few minutes, if you gentlemen don't mind."

"Not at all," said Admiral Jenkins as they all left the room.

Admiral Janeway put her fingers together and looked at Captain Hawthorne with a disapproving eye. "You're Ok with this?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Drop the formalities Ann. This is not like you."

"What do you mean?"

"The Ann I know would've surely objected to this course of action," said AdmJ. "I know I would."

"Then why did you send me on this mission?"

"It's not me…it's Admiral Black."

CaptH sighed heavily. "Should've known…"

"What's the problem between you two?"

"If you don't mind Admiral…I don't want to discuss it here."

"Maybe later?"

"Perhaps."

"Anyway," said Admiral Janeway after a brief silence. "Are you sure you're alright with this?"

"Yes."

"It's…it's EWDEE, isn't it?"

CaptH starred at AdmJ. "In a way."

"I told you to let go Ann, I told you to not let it eat away at you."

"It's harder than you think Kathryn. She was a friend; and the Kraal…"

Admiral Janeway leaned forward and put her hands on CaptH's shoulders. "Just promise me one thing Ann…show them mercy."

CaptH was silent, but AdmH understood.

"Good luck."

---

Thousands of voices swarmed around Boltini as he attempted to open his eyes. A scream here, a weapon fire there, a laugh over there, it was beginning to grate on his nerves. He raised his arms and smacked his face with his hands and put his fingers on his eyelids, prying them open, hoping to see the vast expanse of voices beside him.

"GAH!"

"Hey Aicic…what's wrong with you?"

Boltini realized that he was looking at a young girl while widening his eyelids with his fingers. "Uhhh…"

"You coming?"

Boltini quickly placed his hands back at his sides as he hurriedly glanced around and took in the scenery around him: it was a fairly simple room, which seemed to have been built up using straw and mud. There was a painting on every wall, each showing a view of nature, with no pictures of themselves insight.

"Um…coming where?"

"The weekly meeting…are you feeling alright?"

"Fine…I think, I don't know."

The girl walked through the bordered doorway and placed her hands on Boltini's. "What's the problem? Did you see a Glorax?"

"A what?"

"You know…that thing you say it's in your closet?"

"I got nothing in my closet."

"No kidding."

Boltini let go of the girl's hands and sat down on a small box. Engraved on it were strange markings that have been worn away by age. "Look…I think I might have amnesia or something alright?"

"Really? What's my name?"

"Uh…Tarla?"

"You seem fine to me."

"That was odd…it just popped into my head."

"Well, obviously. We _have_ been brother and sisters since…well since forever really."

"So you're my sister?"

"Ok, maybe you're not that fine."

"Ok ok," said Boltini, trying to consolidate his thoughts "first things first…what's this meeting about?"

"Oh right!" Said Tarla enthusiastically "They're celebrating the completion of the weapon! The Prophet's going to have a speech and everything!"

"Weapon? Prophet?"

"Oh jeez!" Said Tarla, dragging him off of the box "I'll…I'll explain on the way, come on!"

---

The door to the old, ragged house opened onto a dusty street. Boltini glanced about, something about it was incredibly familiar, but whatever that something is, he feels is slipping away very quickly. The walls of the massive cavern they were in were glowing, casting a strange, faint shadow over them.

"Alright Aicic, what do you want to know?" Sighed Tarla.

"Well…ok-"

Boltini stopped in mid-sentence as they both turned to walk to the meeting. There, standing ahead of him, was something right out of his imagination, his thoughts, something he had seen before. It was a massive obsidian tower, lording over them like a shadow. It stretched all the way up to the roof of the massive cavern, ending, rather anticlimactically, in twin spikes surrounded by darkness, as the walls there did not glow.

"Ok what?"

"That…that tower…"

"That's the weapon! Isn't it amazing what we can do if we put our minds into it?"

"Yeah…weapon for what?"

"You _really_ have amnesia, don't you!"

"Just tell me please!"

"Alright," said Tarla with dejection. "The prophet has claimed that one day, these, these strange looking people will come on a massive ship and take over this planet, and kill us all. So we're going to build this weapon against them."

"It's not gonna be very useful underground."

Tarla looked taken aback. "You don't want us to build it on the surface, do you!"

"Uh…why not?"

"Because…well, it's the whole reason we're down here! The natural beauty up on the surface is for viewing only Aicic, not for harming. If we were up there, we would kill life forms to feed our needs! We don't deserve the surface. That's one reason we got to get rid of these invaders on their big ships!"

"So how does this weapon work exactly?"

"I don't know."

"Ok…"

"Look, this is all the decisions of the prophet, if we question it…we'll get into trouble."

"Why?"

"Because that way lays madness. We need guidance, and everything the prophet has said has come true, no matter how improbable."

"Did he talk about my amnesia?"

"In fact…yes he did."

Boltini raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, no he didn't, which is why I think you're pretending."

"I'm _not_ pretending!"

"Alright alright."

"So what did the prophet say about these invaders…are we gonna wage a war with them or something?"

"No, that's not our nature."

"But we got a weapon…"

"It's quick and painless Aicic…do you not remember what you learned at school? Torturing, suffering, those are the worst. We would rather die than endure pain such as those."

"So instead of fighting…"

"And waging a war that will result in suffering, we'll be able to wipe everyone out, in a flash. We get our revenge, and no one needs to suffer."

"That's some mixed up logic." Said Boltini.

"Whoever said the Crolan race followed logic?"

---

Boltini and Tarla walked silently through the lanes underneath the glowing canopy of stone. Everything was just as it was when Boltini first lay his eyes on it, but he wasn't sure where. Is it really his home? Is this where he had lived this many years with his supposed sister? Voices filled Boltini's ears and for a moment he thought he was about to blackout again, just like before.

"I hope we're not late," said Tarla.

Boltini shook his head and realized that the voices were coming from a small group of people ahead of them. They were standing beneath some kind of podium, and directly behind that laid the mighty tower.

Tarla and Boltini stopped walking as they joined the group. Boltini tried to listen to what was happening around him, what the people were saying, but he was half distracted by the building that was filling up the other half of his field of vision.

"Excuse me," said a man in special robes at the podium. "I like to introduce, Prophet Mimory."

Boltini looked up at the podium as a small, withered man slouched towards the podium. He didn't think much of the man, not very special, not very impressive, he thought. The old man grabbed the sides of the podium and slowly looked up at the crowd ahead of him and cleared his throat.

"The time is near!" He shouted. Boltini was surprised that the man had such a commanding voice. "In a few days the invaders will come, and yes, the time will end for us."

The crowed paid close attention to the old prophet. No one gasped, or whispered, something Boltini find odd. He thought that people would be panicking at this.

"But as you all know, we are ready for them. One day, in the distant future, when the invaders have forgotten about us, us, us _victims_! Someone, a stranger, will come and activate this weapon that you see behind me. He will experience what we have experienced, he will see the errors made by the invaders in trespassing on the surface!"

Boltini raised an eyebrow as no one in the crowed responded to this. He had half expected a cheer or something.

"Because, this tower, this marvel of engineering is not only a weapon, no, it's a storage device for our memories. One of you has been chosen for this; only you do not know it. When our savior comes in the future, he will see our world, this world, through one of your eyes. He will walk the roads of this city and enter the great Tower, and within, he will learn of us, and his destiny!"

A memory flashed through Boltini's head as he heard this. He is reminded of something that he has seen, or has heard, on another world, long ago…only he doesn't know what, or where, or when. He scratched his head in confusion and glanced at this sister. She was looking up at the old man in intense concentration.

"Our enemy will never find it, they will not know its secrets until it's too late. A shield has been constructed to stop night and day, and will be functional as soon as they come to make sure they do not detect the power of the walls."

"It will come soon my friends, very soon."

With a cough the old man finished his speech and left the stage. Everyone was silent, but Boltini felt the deep understanding within each and every one of them.

"What do you think?" Asked Tarla, as if she had just awoken from a dream.

"Uh…well, it sounds…good."

Tarla sighed. "You don't mean that."

"Ok, I didn't. Sorry but-"

"Quiet down! You don't want people thinking you're not believing in him."

"Alright alright," said Boltini in a whisper. "I don't know, it just sounds like a bunch of propaganda."

"I see you haven't changed, memory or no memory."

"Huh?"

"You were just like this…I guess you don't remember."

"No I don't…what?"

"A couple of months ago…well, we went to the prophet's house…at night."

"What did we do there?"

"We wanted to find out how he was getting these prophecies."

"What did we find out?"

"Nothing. We got caught, we got grounded for three months."

"…Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well…we can always try again."

"Are you insane!"

"You heard what the old man said, 'the end is near!'" Said Boltini in a mocking tone. "We won't be grounded for long."

"But…"

"Hey, we're all gonna die in a few days, might as well make the most of it."

Boltini was surprised he said that with such ease.

"I don't know Aicic…"

"Well, I'm gonna see what the hell he's up to anyway, if you don't, then so be it."

"Oh no you don't, if you get into trouble, so will I!"

"Is that a yes then?"

Tarla groaned. "Fine…"

---

General Barose gazed at the wide expanse of sand that stretched in front of him and his troops through the viewscreen. He knew that, underneath this guise, was a complex maze of corridors and chambers filled with people that are planning his downfall.

"Well?" He asked impatiently.

"I'm not detecting any weapons on the surface…they can be hidden."

"They could, prepare for transport."

"I can't sir, there is a force field blocking it."

"That's alright…target the ground, but be careful, the information in that complex is just as valuable as the rebels."

"Yes sir."

"Tell me as soon as the force field drops." Said Barose as he approached the door.

"Where are you going sir?"

"Didn't you know? I'm leading this attack, I should be the one on the front lines."

---

Alarms blazed around the compound as Keyser and Alvris watched the transport level out near the ground. Sand whirled around the hidden camera and a drop of sweat rolled down Keyser's forehead.

"We have to get these people out Keyser!" Said Alvris, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

"Then what?" Said Keyser crossly "The Kraal will detect them, and they'll be dead before they get out of the access tunnels!"

"Are you expecting us to go one on one with the Kraal!"

"It beats being massacred!"

"We _will_ be massacred if we stay and fight! We need to leave! Now!"

"Where!"

Alvris opened his mouth but nothing came out. He sighed with dejection and held on as the compound shook.

"They're firing on us sir."

"Ensign," said Keyser "how's the data erasure going?"

"It's taking a long time sir," said the ensign "the computer is too distracted with the tactical side of things."

"Damn it." Whispered Alvris.

"Sir!" Said the technician who was sitting directly in front of them "I'm getting a weak signal…I can't believe this sir, it's Harry!"

"From the central rebel base?"

"It's his code sir."

"Let's see it! Quick!"

The technician quickly pushed a few buttons as the compound continued to shake around them.

"Keyser?" said a voice through the mist on the screen "is that you?"

"Yes Harry! Good to hear your voice!"

"Did Jason deliver the message?"

"Yes!"

"Great!" Said Harry. Even though they can't see him, Keyser and Alvris knew that he was proud. "Ok listen Keyser, my equipment has detected the Kraal ground ship, you need to get out of there! Now!"

"Told you!" Said Alvris.

"We have no place to go Harry!" Said Keyser urgently amid more shaking above ground. "The Kraal will detect us and kill us all!"

"No worries Keyser," said Harry, "we've set up a transport coordinate near your base, get your people there and we'll transport them here!"

"Thank you Harry!"

"Sending the coordinates now Keyser, good luck!"

The screen went blank as it reflected the wide smiles of Keyser and Alvris back at them.

"I've received the coordinates." Said the technician.

"Good," said Keyser. "Keyser to base, evacuate, I repeat, evacuate! Alvris, lead the people out of here."

"What about you?"

"I got to make sure all the data is deleted, if I don't make it out, you're in charge."

Alvris clasped Keyser on the shoulder. "I'm not ready for that, so you better get over there in one piece."

"I'll try."

Alvris glanced at Keyser, and then quickly turned around for the door.

"Wait…don't forget Ann, keep her safe."

"You got it." Said Alvris as he, along with everyone else in the room, ran out of it. Keyser glanced around the room one last time and quickly headed for the consol where the young ensign sat as the ground around them shook again.

"Come on!" Said Keyser as he stared at the screen in front of him.

A familiar shimmering noise greeted his ear from behind him. He turned around and dove out of the room as Kraal guards materialized in front of the control room consoles.

"Download the data!" Ordered Barose.

"Yes sir!" Said the guard and quickly placed a small, dome-shaped device on the beeping console.

Out of nowhere an orange phaser beam struck the Kraal soldier in the back, easily vaporizing him. Barose raised his rifle just in time to see another two of his soldiers face the same fate. He pointed his gun at a wall opposite him and fired.

A blue bolt of energy flew forth and struck the wall. For a moment a shockwave manifested itself on the wall, almost as if it was made of water. A second later the wall imploded and shattered in all directions, leaving a dusty cloud and falling debris behind.

Barose stepped forward through the smoke and reached into the rubble and pulled out a man covered in dust and in an instant knocked the phaser from his hands and pinned him against the wall.

"Barose to ship, do you detect any life signs nearby?"

"Scanning," said a voice out of Keyser's belt "yes sir, the life signs are concentrated in a tunnel of some kind."

Barose waved his arms behind them while all the time focusing his attention on Keyser. The troops behind him nodded slightly and left the room running. A smirk filled Barose's face as he starred at Keyser.

"I know your face," said Barose quietly. "You're Keyser Soze."

"And you're Barose the butcher." Said Keyser unflinchingly.

"Witty." Said Barose as he released Keyser from his grip and pointed his rifle at him. "You know, I've read about you in the data records…it seems that you were," Barose chuckled "evil."

"That's behind me."

"Of course, it was all to do with that Mr. Garibaldi, is it not?"

Keyser remained silent.

"Very eccentric fellow he was, showed us to your planet in the first place. He told us what a paradise it was…"

Keyser breathed heavily. "He's dead…and he told us about your invasion."

"We know that," said Barose, his demeanor suddenly changing. "We knew he couldn't be trusted, we were going to eliminate him but…looks like you got there first." Barose paused and stared at the floor. "What he told us…it was all a lie. This is no paradise!"

Barose lunged forward and grabbed Keyser by the neck. "You rebels…you kill us, you kill your own citizens…what the hell is wrong with you…you…you warmonger."

"Warmonger!" Yelled Keyser weakly through Barose's hold. "You…you started this!"

"Why can't you accept it? We want to live here as much as you do!"

"Bullshit!"

---

"Go! Go!" Yelled Alvris as people swarmed around him.

He looked around frantically as his co-workers and staff ran along the corridor. He wiped his forehead quickly and stopped, and then started a sprint down the opposite direction as he saw Ann limping along.

"Come on Ann!" Said Alvris as he slid his arm under hers.

"Get to the others, I'll be fine."

"Sure, now come on."

"Just go!"

"I can't! I've made a promise!"

"What!"

"I've promised Keyser I would protect you, and I'm going to honor that! Now come on!"

A bolt of energy flashed over Alvris' head as he limped along with Ann. He quickly turned around as another shot flew past his ear.

"You keep going," said Alvris, "quick!"

He didn't hear what she said next as he pulled out two phaser rifles and blasted the corridor in front of him. Pieces of the wall flew off in random directions and the air was chocked with dust.

"Take that you stupid idiots!"

---

"Sir," said the same voice from Barose's belt "the troops are meeting resistance in the corridor."

"That's to be expected…tell the rebels to stand down or be killed." Said Barose as he turned to Keyser "hear that? Tell your people to stand down…"

"They'll fight you!" Screamed Keyser, "you're not going to get all of us!"

"Kill them all." Said Barose to his communicator.

Keyser's eyes widened and he dove towards Barose, who immediately fired his rifle. Keyser closed his eyes tightly as he collided with Barose's waist and felt both of them crashing down onto the ground. At the same time he heard the wall opposite him being blown apart by the stray bolt of energy.

"Get off of me!"

Keyser thrashed around and grabbed Barose's rifle and tried to pull it to him. He felt resistance to it and finally opened his eyes as a fist flew at this head. He felt the sharp sting of a hit and fell backwards, still clutching to Barose's rifle, with Barose on the other end of it. With a flash he brought his other hand down on it and cleanly smashed it to pieces. Bits of his warm blood splashed over it.

Barose recoiled slightly and let go of the broken rifle and fell backwards onto the ground, eyes wide open and starring at the blood-stained Keyser, who quickly jumped up and ran to the console near him.

"What are you doing!"

Keyser ignored him and punched away at the buttons on the console. The screen turned blank. With a smirk Keyser returned his attention to Barose.

"Computer, initiate self-destruct sequence, Soze 001-"

Keyser made a choking noise as Barose sprang up and wrapped his hands on his neck.

"…Al…alpha…"

"Self destruct sequence initiated."

An explosion rocked the compound and both Keyser and Barose fell backwards onto the ground once more. Keyser recovered quickly and glanced at Barose.

"See you around general." Said Keyser and sprinted out of the room.

---

"Take that! And that!" Shouted Alvris as he fired into the gloominess of the corridor, while bolts of energy continue to fly around him.

"Sir!" Said a voice behind him.

"George?"

"They're all at the transport coordinates."

"And?"

"They've been beamed away, they should be safe."

Alvris and George both stumbled backwards as a shockwave reached them. In the distance, down the corridor they can see violently flickering light.

"What the hell…?"

"Someone must have activated the self-destruct sequence," said Alvris "let's get the hell out of here."

---

Roof beams came crashing down all around the control room as General Barose righted himself. He glanced around at the consoles and quickly snatched up the small dome-shaped device with apprehension.

"Barose to ship."

"This is the ship sir, we're monitoring-"

"This place is self-destructing, locate our troops and beam us up!"

"Yes sir!"

---

Keyser ran through the burning wreck of his base as explosions erupted out of every wall panel, every door. He coughed loudly as he ran amidst smoke and ash. The lights glowed a dark, blood red, matching parts of his clothes. He stopped at a close door and pressed a few buttons at the side.

"Come on!"

The door did not budge. A loud rumbling made Keyser turn around. What he saw knocked the wits out of him for the first time this day. A fireball, quickly following a trail of smaller explosions came hurtling at him like a train.

"Oh that's _it_!" Said Keyser as he stepped backwards and ran at the door. He didn't even hear the explosion near him until he realized that it triggered the door and caused it to open. Keyser ran headlong through the door and fell onto the ground, half chuckling.

He glanced up and saw, with relief, the travel pod they had recovered a few months ago, sitting directly in front of him in the shuttlebay.

Explosions continued to rock the compound as he climbed onboard the small vehicle and activated it. It lifted off of the ground slowly and with a few pushes of a button it rocketed out of the shuttlebay.

Within seconds the dark night greeted Keyser as he flew out of one of the hidden launch tunnels, behind them the Kraal ground ship slowly turned and flew away before a fireball erupted out of the ground, obliterating the Section 31 base.

---

The USS Fraser cruised through the lower atmosphere of Earth as a tired Jason lugged boxes inside. He wiped his forehead and then starred at this sleeves in disgust. Slowly he stood up and looked about. He couldn't believe that PG would choose such an uncomfortable ship. Jason strolled quietly to the pilot chair, briefly looking back to see the box he was lugging, that which carried a very important device, was at a good place and not likely to fall off of something and break. He sat on the chair, now making a squealing noise because of his persistent kicking due to more uncomfortable-ness, and checked his schedule.

A slight smile filled his face as he realized that he was near his destination. Anticipation flooded him as he slowly lifted his head up to the window in front of him, something that he hasn't done due to the brightness of the day. In front of him laid a vast sea of darkness, not unusual since it was night. In the distance Jason can make out small patches of light, with one large one that is illuminating the sky in the far distance.

"The East Coast…" he muttered to himself.

He pressed a few buttons and the consol in front of him flashed to that of a coordinate grid. He instinctively pointed a finger at a part of the grid and smiled again. He looked up at the navigational consol and pressed a few more buttons and felt the ship descend. A breath of relief escaped him as he thought of his trip being finally over, and not a single Kraal ship in sight.

"Luck luck luck…" he muttered.

The runabout cruised slowly to a stop and hovered invisibly over a field of grass. Jason starred out into the darkness and waited.

"This is being transmitted on a secured channel," boomed a voice out of the comm. system, making Jason jump. "State your name and business."

"This is Jason Hawthorne, I've been sent by the CRB."

"Right, of course…stand by."

A blue light swept through the runabout. Jason looked around quickly, not knowing what just happened.

"Scans complete…alright Jason, welcome to the East Coast Rebel Base."

A strange feeling came over Jason as the walls surrounding him, as well as himself started to shimmer. Soon the darkness outside started seeping in, but all Jason can see was shimmering light.

---

Jason opened his eyes with a snap: he was back in his runabout, and in front of him, instead of a dark field of grass, was a sophisticated looking, massive chamber, filled with assorted broken down ships and pods. Jason was just taking in the size of the chamber when a knocking sound came from the runabout's door.

"Where am I?" Asked Jason as he climbed out of the small ship.

"This is the shuttlebay of our base," said a tall man standing in front of him. He had dark hair and a slight scar above his right cheek. He had his sleeves rolled up and a hyperspanner in his right hand. Beside him stood a girl, short by comparison. She looked at Jason and smiled.

"Did you beam my whole ship in here?"

"Yep, and we disabled your cloaking device, just in case." Said the man. "My name is Derrick."

"Nice to meet you," said Jason. "The cloak, it's not permanently disabled, is it?"

"Oh no," said the girl. "I'm Sarah."

Jason shook her hand with a graceful smile.

"Right Jason," said Derrick "Shall we go to the situation room?"

"I brought some communication equipment with me," said Jason "it should make it easier to communicate with the West coast and the CBR. It's in one of the big boxes in there."

"Wonderful, Sarah, take some men with you and install it."

"Alright."

"Let's go Jason."

Derrick and Jason walked away from the runabout as Sarah climbed into its dark interior. Jason swung his head this way and that to take in the grandeur of the shuttlebay.

"This place is huge!" He proclaimed.

"It sure is," said Derrick proudly "it was once a ground-based ship yard, made all the big pieces of a Starship that could be built on the ground. One of only seven in the entire world."

"Wow…"

They entered through a small gray door and ended up in a narrow corridor with people passing them constantly. Jason watched as a pair of workers carried a cargo container through one of the side passages.

"So…you're Keyser Soze's son?"

Jason was surprised that he decided to talk about this. "Yes."

"That's good."

"You mean you're not-"

"I don't dislike him, if that's what you mean. I heard he's changed. I made sure I looked up the record of all the rebels, and from what I heard, your old man's changed for the better."

"He sure did…"

"And that he's a good leader, gotta respect that."

"You must…"

"Look Jason, I don't know exactly what you did over on the other coast," said Derrick, suddenly in a very serious tone "but things here are a little…bigger, let's just say."

"I would guess that."

"It's not just the shuttlebays Jason. There are many more people here. Hell, even in the days of the Federation they were freer than the people on the west coast, being away from Starfleet HQ…no offence."

"None taken."

"Anyway, you could imagine their reaction when the Kraal came."

Derrick stood still and starred at Jason. "If anything were to happen here Jason, it's going to be big. We're not talking about small operations here, if one small group started a riot…well, this whole coast can go up in flames, if you know what I mean."

"I do."

"I used to take strolls in the cities…it's like a pressure cooker there. One shot fires and the entire street will be inundated with regular people just trying to get their home back."

"Let's hope you're right," said Jason "because that's what we need."

"Glad we're on the same page. Anyway, this is the situation room," said Derrick, pointing at a gray door enclosed in a small alcove on the side of the wall. "Let's get started."

---

"Hand me the hyperspanner would you?" Said Jim on his back as he tries to mount a plating to a piece of exposed wiring.

"There you go."

"Thanks Cavendish."

Jim stopped for a moment and looked at Cavendish. A year ago he had saved his life, something Jim does not forget lightly. He turned back to the panel and started to adjust it.

"You know," said Cavendish casually "this new deflector dish doesn't look right."

"Huh?"

"It's kind of elaborate, don't you think?"

"If there's one thing I've learned in Starfleet Engineering Frederick, is that things get progressively more complicated as time goes by."

"Um…but isn't it better if there were less moving parts?"

"You've been in too many science fiction holonovels I thi-"

"Sir?"

Jim furrowed his brow and ran his hands over the backside of the panel that he was trying to stick down. "Give me more light."

"Yes sir," said Cavendish.

"No way…"

---

"So I take it the meeting didn't go so well?"

"You know I can't tell you anything about that."

Adam smiled mischievously and sat on the Ready Room couch, "I'll get it out of you."

"Still mad that I get more information than you?"

"Who said I was mad?"

CaptH chuckled and walked towards Adam. "I guess I can tell you something…there was…a man there. Someone I hoped to never see."

"Who was it?"

"Carter Black."

"And he is…?"

"A Section 31 agent Adam. A year ago Section 31 broke all contact with me, thought I was too loyal to Starfleet. Believe it or not, I was supposed to be a Section 31 agent here in Starfleet, to pretty much guard our interests. Being Admiral I could've made sure the welfare of the Section was managed."

"So you're saying they've replaced you?"

"Pretty much…it's worse actually."

"What?"

"Carter Black has a grudge against me."

"That's not good."

"No kidding. From what I saw he didn't seem to have lost a bit of it."

"So what's it all about?"

CaptH sighed and sat beside Adam. "A few years ago…when I was still working with Keyser in Section 31, we, and that is to say me, Keyser, Black, and his brother, got offered a job. We were suppose to look into a cargo ship that was bringing some illegal material to the Orion syndicate."

"Seems normal."

"It was. We were actually thankful that we got an easy job. Anyway, things didn't go as well as we had hoped, and we ended up having to destroy the ship. Well…there was a mix up in communications, and when the bomb detonated, Black's brother was still onboard."

"Let me guess…Black thinks you killed his brother."

"That's pretty much it, yeah. Black was never a good agent in the first place if you ask me. Emotionally driven, not always rational…it's amazing he was even hired as an agent."

"So now he's an Admiral."

"Yep, and we're in big trouble, especially if the other Admirals don't keep an eye on him. You know what? I'm willing to bet that any decision he's making will be in someway harmful to this crew."

"I don't think it's that bad…"

"You don't know him Adam, hell, he's probably thinking of someway to get us decommissioned or something…"

"Well, what can we do about it? He's an Admiral, and from what you say all the other Admirals know that he's in the Section."

"I can always…let you take command."

"And what are you going to do? Run and hide?"

CaptH looked at Adam disapprovingly. "I can get another command…he's big trouble Adam, you just don't know it."

"Well, I'm partially in command anyway, and I say you stay and we'll see what happens."

"You…the whole crew might get hurt because of this."

"We've been through worse, worse than some whacked-out Admiral."

"Captain!" Shouted Jim.

CaptH and Adam got up hurriedly and rushed to the door and opened it. Jim came running through and straight into them. He bent down quickly and picked up the PADD he was holding.

"Captain," he panted, "I found something…on the parts."

"What parts?" Said CaptH urgently.

"The new auxiliary deflector dish…"

CaptH gasped silently and hesitated for a moment. Through the entire day there were times when she wanted to tell her crew the truth, and in many ways opportunities were given to her to do just that, and this was one of them.

"I…do you need some water Jim?"

"Not now…look." Said Jim as he handed them the PADD.

Adam took it in his hands and glanced through it. "Uh…what is it?"

"Don't you see it!"

"Jim you need to calm down" Said CaptH as she led Jim to the couch. "Ok, why did you just give Adam a picture of…metal?"

"Look closely" said Jim breathlessly.

"Did you run up here?"

"Look at it!"

Adam looked at it intensely. "I see some imperfections in the metal."

"Yeah yeah…but do you see what they look like?"

"Give me," said CaptH. "Hold on a sec…eight…the letter U…" She looked at Jim. "I don't get it."

"It's not eight and U captain! Look at it, it's a B and a V."

Adam and CaptH looked at him blankly.

"BASICman and Vanessa!"

CaptH sighed. "Jim-"

"Ok, wait," said Jim. "I know it's a little farfetched Captain, I know alright? It's…I mean…ok."

Jim exhaled slowly. "Alright, all of my men have said the same thing to me, that these new parts don't seem to be right…there were strange fittings on the new warp coils, and the auxiliary deflector dish is much more complicated than other dishes."

"What are you say?" Said Adam. "That these aren't the actual parts?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying!"

"What does this have to do with BASICman and Vanessa?" Asked Adam.

"Uh…well…"

Jim sat down and put his face into hands. A drop of sweat crept through his fingers and splashed onto the carpeted floor. "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," said CaptH. "it's completely understandable…"

"But…"

"Jim," said Adam, glancing at the PADD. "It _could_ just be imperfections in the metal…"

"I know…"

CaptH sat down beside Jim and put her arms around him. "If you want a day off Jim…I know this is tough, I mean, you've been working for what, nine, ten hours straight now?"

"I'm alright," said Jim, suddenly getting up "I'll be in Engineering."

Jim stood in front of them, his eyes darting this way and that. "Yeah…I'll be down there."

He turned quickly and stormed out of the room. CaptH watched Adam as he sat down and put his head in his hands, just like Jim.

"That offensive you were talking about," said Adam through his fingers, "it better happen soon."

"It will Adam, it will."

---

Kick starred around the massive chamber, her eyes spotting one mechanical wonder after another. She slowly got up, wobbled, sat back down, wavered, and then collapsed onto the floor.

"What have I got myself into…?" She muttered.

With effort she got up again and walked toward the massive panel of instruments on her right, and started tapping the gages to see if they made a funny sound. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, and that she should be standing guard, but at this point she didn't care. All she wanted was a good sleep.

"What's the point of standing guard when there's nothing to guard us from!" She yelled loudly.

Echoes bounced off the walls. Kick took one breath and collapsed onto the floor once more, sighing as she did so. Her eyelids felt like lead shields, waiting to drop onto her pupil at any moment.

"Hey!" She yelled again. "EWDEE!"

EWDEE laid beside Boltini, fast asleep, one of her hands on one of his. Kick starred at them. It took a while before her fatigued brain would comprehend what's going on.

"Hey! EWDEE!" Said Kick again as she crawled towards them.

EWDEE's head lolled to one side and her eyes slowly opened. "Wha…?"

"Wake up, I'm tired."

"So am I."

"So what? I'm not the one who's been sleeping."

EWDEE sighed and sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. "What time is it?"

"Are you kidding?"

EWDEE blinked and looked at Kick. "Huh?"

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

EWDEE looked around the room. "Oh right…"

"Took you awhile."

"Hey! I'm tired too, remember?"

Kick nodded half-heartedly and looked at EWDEE's other hand. A mischievous smile crept over her face.

"What have we here…?"

"What are you talking about?"

Kick crawled closer to EWDEE and Boltini. "You're holding his hand…"

EWDEE looked at it. "Yeah…so?"

"As I recall, that wasn't there when you fell asleep."

"So?"

Kick chuckled as if she was once again the evil queen under Boltini. "What's going on between you two anyway?"

EWDEE suddenly became alert and pulled her hand out of Boltini's. "Nothing, we're just friends."

"Uh huh."

"We're…good friends, ever since the Academy."

"Sure."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You think we haven't noticed you and GK?"

"Oh that…"

"Yeah…care to tell me something about that?"

Kick screwed up her face and concentrated. "Maybe not."

"Tell you what, you tell me what's going on between you and GK, and I'll tell you what's going on between me and Nick."

"Hehe…Nick, eh?"

"It's his first name, alright?"

"Do you realize that you're the only one that calls him that?"

EWDEE furrowed her brow. "Am I?"

"Yeah…so I think I know exactly what's going on between you two. I don't need to tell you anything."

"Are you sure?"

Kick looked at EWDEE in silence, and then looked at Boltini, who still laid on the floor, his face serene, as if he was having a beauty sleep.

"Oh fine."

"You first."

"Right," said Kick. "Well, me and GK…he is just that kind of guy, you know? Mysterious, his own boss…rebel, the usual."

"Is that all?"

"He's dependable."

"He better be."

Kick laughed boisterously. "He's kinda cute too, don't get me wrong. But I like his spirit the best. He's funny…I can go on and on."

EWDEE smiled. "Do you think he likes you?"

"I'll make sure he does."

"I think he does."

"You think so?"

"We can tell." Said EWDEE as she pointed to Boltini and herself.

"That's good…" said Kick "I don't know EWDEE, but I think there might be a future there. Maybe he and I can cruise around space, having adventures, sharing laughs."

"Yeah…"

"That would be the life, you know?"

"Yeah."

Kick playfully clapped her hands together and pointed it at EWDEE. "Your turn."

EWDEE's smile vanished. "Do I have to?"

"We had a deal!"

EWDEE sighed and looked down at Boltini. "Nick and I…Nick and I…can we do this some other time?"

"No! Now!"

"Fine," said EWDEE. "We were good friends at the Academy, you know that…there was one time, it was hilarious…we snuck a whole cage full of emus, and we're talking a cage the size of one of the dorms…the whole cage, into the stadium, we had it transported there. For weeks after emus would just pop out of people's bags, or under professors' desks, in people's bunks…you know?

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Well, that was the first time I really met Nick…he grabbed me from behind, and told me that he knows that I'm…a good student, and is smart…"

"He said that?"

"Something like that. Anyway, he said all of this, and then tried to convince me to join in this little prank because he knew I would be an asset."

"Let me get this straight," said Kick, her brain working overtime to combat her weariness. "You guys met…when he grabbed you from behind and asked you to do something that could get you two expelled! Am I getting this right?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow," said Kick, her eyes opened wide. "I guess I should've stayed in the Academy. Go on."

"So for a while me and Nick worked alongside, I got to know him, his past, his…nature, I guess you can say. We were close, even after the prank was pulled."

EWDEE sighed. "We kept contact after the Academy, and then one day he just stopped."

"Garibaldi." Said Kick.

"I didn't know that at the time, but yeah. I was pretty depressed for a while; even after finding out that he was kidnapped, and was not angry with me…I've missed him a lot for those years. I never thought about…liking him…in that way, I guess you can say that. We always viewed ourselves as friends, great friends, mind you, but just that, friends. It was nothing more, and we liked it that way."

"Then you guys met up again…"

"Yeah, we did. But of course he had changed, being implanted with that chip…you know the rest, don't you? I don't really want to recount it."

"It's alright, I know." Said Kick, no longer smiling. She looked at EWDEE and for a moment felt a connection to her, not as a working partner, but a close friend, someone she could depend on.

"And now…now that he's back to normal…" continued EWDEE.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know…I'm sure I've matured over the years…but I don't know about him."

"I'm sure he's mature EWDEE," said Kick sincerely. "He's been through hell."

"I don't mean that," said EWDEE. "He's missed so much in life, he really didn't get time to mature on his own. He had maturity thrusted upon him."

EWDEE looked at Boltini and sighed. "I _think_ I might…love him…but now is not the time to start anything. He has so much left to live for, so many things he has missed. I should give him some time to live them…and then when he's ready…"

"EWDEE…Kith, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Well Kith, I think he is ready…no offense, but I've seen you around him when we go on our little missions, you're very protective of him."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You said, let him live his life, let him learn the ways of…well, the normal way, I guess."

"But…"

"And he knows this Kith, believe me, he does."

"How do you know?"

"I have a feeling. Remember, I went through the same thing; I had that chip in me as well. I felt his presence for a very long time Kith. I know him…he is ready."

"You think so?"

"I think what you should do is, when this is all over…just talk to him a bit, hint at it…and then tell me exactly what he says and does. I'll decode it for you."

EWDEE smiled. "That's awfully nice of you."

"Got nothing else to do."

EWDEE looked around the room, and for a second, everything seemed to fall into place. This room, this chamber, she thought, looked like home, looked like a place she would want to be. She knew, of course, that in truth this was a mechanical, cold world. Then she looked down and saw Boltini, laying there, his mouth open, and a small spot of drool sitting peacefully on the floor. She couldn't help but laugh. As long as Boltini's here, this room doesn't seem so bad.

"I hope he can't hear us." Said Kick.

"Hold on…" Said EWDEE. "Something's different."

"Yeah, our relationship. This is female bonding at its best."

"No, not that…but that is good," said EWDEE, "listen."

Kick looked at EWDEE wearily and stood up. "Hey…"

"You hear it?"

"The machine…is it getting louder?"

"I think so…" said EWDEE. "This can't be good."

Kick sighed. "Nothing here is good."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that…"

---

"Be wewy wewy quiet, we're going to hunt some…uh…prophecies…yeah." Said Boltini as he sneaked out of the door.

"Why are you talking like that?" Said Tarla, close behind him.

"Don't know. Just popped into my head."

"Let's hope nothing else pops into your head, you're getting more and more insane everyday."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Yeah, it's probably better for your health."

Boltini and Tarla crept quietly along the deserted streets of the city. Above them spots of light can be seen, glinting, flitting from there to here, then back. For the last three nights Boltini had gone out of the house to look at these, it mesmerizes him. They were much more than stars, more like little fairies, flying across the cave ceiling, shining their feeble light over the Crolan city.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Said Boltini.

"They sure are…I'm going to miss them."

"What are they, exactly?"

"You don't know?"

"Amnesia."

"Right…well, if I remember correctly from school, they are the God's messengers, coming to check up on us…I don't know, I haven't been to school for ages."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I had to work on that tower…so did you!"

"No, not the school thing…the walls, that's why they glow?"

"Maybe, I don't think much of it, just stories I think."

"Yeah…"

The word "chemical" flashed into Boltini's mind for a split second, he didn't know what it meant or what it suggested, but he knew it was there.

It didn't take nearly as long as before to reach the spot where, three days ago, the meeting was held. Boltini looked up as the tower, now darker than ever, filled his vision once more. Tarla walked passed him and motioned him to follow her.

"Come on, it's right this way…"

Boltini squinted as he tried to see in the dark. For a moment all he could see was the subtle glinting of light on the opposite wall of the chamber, as well as reflections off of the back of Tarla's coat.

"Careful…there are bushes here."

Tarla crouched down and pushed herself against the bushes. She stopped and searched through her backpack, grabbed a pair of binoculars, and peered through them.

"Where did you-"

"Shh!"

"Where did you get those?" Whispered Boltini indignantly.

"Built one myself. Now be quiet!"

Tarla peered through her binoculars. "I think I got something…"

"Let me see!"

Tarla carefully passed the binoculars to Boltini. "Whoa…"

Boltini was amazed at how good the binoculars were, but was even more amazed at what he saw. He lowered the binoculars, rubbed his eyes, and then peeked through them again.

"Wow…" Sighed Boltini as he turned away from the house at last.

"You saw what I saw?"

"Yeah…what was that thing?"

"I don't know…looked like a tablet or something."

Boltini searched through his mind. He knew he had seen something like that before. He recognized its organized, rectangular shape.

"Was he talking to it?"

"I think he was just holding…"

Boltini instinctively reached for his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Said Tarla.

"Uh…" said Boltini as he came up empty. "Nothing…I think I've seen that thing before."

"I told you, it looked like a tablet…they all look alike."

"Maybe…I think we better get back."

"Yeah."

Tarla stuffed the binoculars back into her backpack and got up. She bent down and lent a hand to Boltini before turning and heading for home.

"What a night…"

"You said it sister."

"What do you think that was?"

"Maybe some kind of mystical tablet?"

"You think he's getting prophecies from that thing?"

"It's possible."

Tarla and Boltini stopped in their tracks as a loud noise filled their ears. They looked at each other, horror filling their faces. The noise grew louder and more organized, and before they knew it, it had grown to be a siren.

"Did we trigger something!" Said Boltini urgently.

"We better hide!" Said Tarla.

Before they can move more noises erupted. Against their better judgments they stopped and listened, trying to figure out what these extra noises were. Yells and screams filled their years, as well as the slamming of doors. They stopped listening and ran towards the bushes behind them.

"You said," said Boltini, panting, "that we only got…grounded last time…"

"I did," said Tarla "I think this is something else."

They both looked ahead and both flung out their arms, trying to stop each other, and then promptly fell back onto the ground. Through all the noises and the sirens they heard the gentle sounds of footsteps, then the rustling of leaves as someone walked across the bushes.

They looked up slowly, terror flooding through them, and saw the face of Prophet Mimory loaming over them. He starred at them for a moment, then stretched out his arms and looked out over the distance.

"IT IS TIME!" He bellowed.

The yelling and screaming of the Crolan in the background ceased. For a moment it was just the siren. One by one people streamed out of their homes, lined up, and stopped. Mimory looked down at Boltini and Tarla and smiled fatherly.

"Come children," he said. "You should go join your parents. The time of face off has come."

---

Boltini and Tarla ran through the streets, trying to find their parents amidst crowds of people. Shouts filled the air as Mimory cheered on the crowds. It was as if the entire world was marching off to war.

"Mom!" Yelled Tarla.

"Dad!" Yelled Boltini.

"It's no use!" Said Tarla. "They could be anywhere."

"What now?"

"Just follow…you know, it was good being your sister, even if you're a little weird at times."

"And it was good being your brother…I'm going to miss you when it all ends."

"We'll see each other again…"

---

"Hurry! Quickly sir!" Said the addresser at the meeting, trying to quicken Mimory.

"I am old," said the prophet, "give me time…"

"But sir…"

"Do not worry, everything will happen as it should…"

Mimory slouched and stumbled over the uneven ground as the crowd neared the edge of the city and the pristine lake that presided there.

"Ah!" Yelled the Prophet as a small device fell out of his robes.

"Sir! Hurry!"

"Wait…"

Mimory bent down slowly. Behind him the crowd stopped, waiting for the prophet to lead the way. The old man picked up the device and starred at it: a piece was missing from it, which lay wedged in the ground.

"Sir, is that…is that the Tablet of Truth?"

"Yes…I'm afraid it is useless now." Said Mimory as the device glowed slightly then went out. "It cannot survive as two separate pieces I'm afraid."

"We must go, leave the piece."

"I intend to." Said Mimory as he started running again. The people behind him did the same. "THIS WAY!" He shouted.

The crowd turned right from the lake, and headed for a wall of stone. Here the sides of the cavern came down sharply on flat ground. It was as if some one meticulously cut it this way. The old prophet came to a stop before the wall and moved his hands over it.

"It is here…" he muttered.

His hands stopped and penetrated the wall. Dust and sand fell down and a rough outline of a doorway appeared. He grabbed the rock on two sides, and with all the strength left within him, pulled the rock out of the way.

"IN HERE!" He shouted again.

Mimory, led by his servant, ran into the tunnel, quickly followed by the rest of the Crolan race.

---

GK's personal log, date: unknown. I have decided that, since I'm no longer alone and traveling on a small, yet very very good ship, and have friends and…others, I will be doing one of these personal logs that I see everyone else doing. Let's see…what do people do in one of these? Right, current events, I'm currently heading over to what we believe to be a Kraal transport hub of a sort, from here I can already see a bunch of starships and shuttlecrafts taking off. Hmmm…I wonder, if I say computer pause. Ok, it looks like I can't say that phrase without the computer actually pausing. Anyway, back to what's happening. I've surgically enhanced my facial features to match that of a Kraal, and replicated sufficient clothing so I won't get captured and tortured and all that bad stuff that I hear about. Hopefully this mission will be successful and we'll find out where all these ships are going and why. Uh…how does one stop these things? Maybe…computer, end log.

---

"There," said GK to himself as he finished adding Kraal features to himself. "Computer, mirror."

Within seconds a mirror materialized on the replicator pad. GK expertly snatched it and inspected himself within its reflective surface. A smile crept onto his now Kraal-like face.

"Awesome."

GK sat back down on his pilot seat and carefully steered the Triton City over a large building. In the distance a line of haze blocked the snow-capped Arebiric Mountains, its peaks jetting into the sky like white pyramids. GK can't help but sigh at the pristine beauty he has observed on Kraal Prime since he arrived. There were days, when Kick, EWDEE, and Boltini wanted to rest, where he would just cruise around the planet, with his cloak engaged, and enjoy the rugged mountains, the sandy deserts, the complex jungles and forests, and the gleaming seas.

He shook his head and tried to stay focused. This is important, he told himself. GK leaned forward and quickly punched in a few commands. Behind him the transporter lit up, ready for a passenger. He got up, took one last look at the mountains and the haze, and got in.

---

"Whoa…" muttered GK as he materialized within the main chamber of the transport building.

He looked around without saying a word, without muttering a sound, and was amazed at the architecture: The walls leading up to the roof were painted so they fade into a sky color, as if the roof was not there, but rather the sky itself, which seamlessly blends into the walls. The floor featured extravagant patterns of swirling colors, not ending at the walls but kept going. Thousands of Kraal citizens roamed through the chamber, not noticing any of these features that have so far entranced GK.

For the second time in one hour GK shook his head and focused himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tricorder and started to scan. With one eye on it and the other eye on the rest of the building, GK wandered up and down the main terminal.

"Sir?"

With a quick movement GK stashed his tricorder back into his pocket and turned around. A young lady with a pair of glasses faced him, smiling.

"Are you related to Chrishimiz?" She continued.

"Uh…no."

"Oh, sorry I bothered you then."

"No, wait!" Said GK as he ran after the young lady.

"I said I'm sorry…"

"No, I mean…I'm lost, can you help me find my way?"

"Well, my ship leaves in a few hours…sure why not. My name is Lianda. You?"

"My name is…Margra."

"That's an odd name."

"I'm an odd person."

Lianda chuckled. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, you know, where everyone else is."

"Yeah, I heard about this place, what they call it, Earth I think. They say it's got forests, deserts, mountains, kinda like Kraal Prime."

"Oh…" said GK worriedly. "Is that right?"

"Yes. I can't wait to get there!"

"Me neither!"

They walked in silence for a few minutes. GK's thoughts swirled within him. Earth! He thought to himself, maybe I've misheard…no, she definitely said Earth.

"Earth, right?"

"Yeah…why?"

"Just making sure."

"You're not the only one, just yesterday my father was having problems getting the news."

"Oh, I think I might be too."

"It seems everyone is having problems with receiving news…I hope the people of Earth isn't causing too much troubles for our brave men and women."

"Yeah, me too…say, what can you tell me about your father's symptoms?"

"Symptoms?"

"You know, with being unable to receive news."

Lianda looked at him strangely. "What symptoms? This is no illness, just technological problems."

"Oh, of course, what was I thinking."

"That's a good question. Which ship are you going with?"

"The…Vanguard."

"Is that right…"

"Yeah."

"Well…if you'll excuse me."

Lianda glanced at GK one last time and quickly walked away from him, blending into the crowd. GK sighed quietly and looked around, there was no one here he could really talk to without revealing how little he knew about Kraal culture…and what's this about technology stuff?

"Hey!" Shouted GK.

A man wearing long coat looked at him through droopy eyes and stopped. "Me?"

"Sure, can you help me?"

The man looked from side to side, hoping that someone can help GK in his place. "I'm kinda busy…"

"It won't be long, oh, are you a doctor?"

"I am."

GK breathed a sigh of relief. "Did you know that there are people who are loosing the ability to receive news?"

"Ah," said the man with an understanding sigh. "Yes, I've heard of it. No doubt it's a sign of the end of an era."

"Right, well, you see, I have that problem, and I really wanted to treat it myself, if I can…see, I don't have a lot of currency so…is there anyway you can give me a crash course on how this receiving of news works?"

"What!"

"Just very fast."

"I'm sorry-"

"I'll pay you…not much mind you, but some."

The man looked at GK and grinned slightly. "You will have to walk with me."

"Of course."

"Alright, fine…it's actually quite curious. It's also strange that not many Kraal know this, considering that it should be taught in schools…"

"Go on."

"From research, it is shown that all Kraal possess some kind of metal in their blood, it is not know what kind, but it is there. It is a very strange thing."

"Are you saying that news is transmitted to these…metal things?"

"Something like that…the people at the communication hubs is able to…lock on to these metal traces, and in turn send news straight to the person, almost telepathically, without mass media. Very effective tool."

The man lowered his voice. "It's definitely very useful these days, what with all those terrorists around, trying to blow up buildings. I tell you, I can go to bed happy knowing they won't know a _thing_ about what's going on in the outside world! Yep, there's no way they can find out about news from away!"

"That is comforting."

"Yes…this is my ship. Good talking to you, good luck with your…treatment!"

The man waved to GK as he disappeared through the doorway. GK watched as he did so and a smile came to his face.

"I can't believe he forgot to ask me for payment…"

---

"Open the doors!"

Technicians punched away at their consoles as Keyser's travel pod glided slowly through the launch tunnels and settled calmly on the cold hard shuttlebay floor. For a moment there was only silence. Many of the rebels had worried looks on their faces while holding phaser rifles, ready to fire at a drop of a hat.

The door to the travel pod slowly opened and a figured emerged from within, slightly coughing. The men looked at the figure for a moment, and lowered their weapons.

"Keyser Soze…" Said the lead weapon-wielding officer.

Keyser dusted himself off and looked straight into the officer's face. "Where are my men?"

"They're all safe, I promise. A Mr. Alvris has told me to tell you that Ann is ok."

Relief swept over Keyser as he sighed. "That's good, that's good."

"I'm Larrisect, commander of this regiment of men you see behind me."

"Good to meet you, where's Harry?"

"He's busy at the moment, discussing strategies. We have set up some quarters for you and your men."

"Well then, lead me on."

---

"Here you are," Said Larrisect. "It's been an honor meeting you sir."

Keyser glanced after Larrisect as he left, and turned around to face his new home. He dropped some of his belongings on the floor and sat on the bed. The last few hours have been a blur for him, the fight with Barose, the base blowing up and him taking off in a small travel pod. Then it hit him: he hasn't thought about Jason since his talk with Alvris, not once. He wiped his head with his bandaged hands and saw in it a stray gray hair.

"Damn…"

Keyser got up slowly, holding his back. It seemed that he has aged over night. With great pain to his legs and waist he walked over to a small cracked mirror above a stained sink covered in cobwebs. It looked like this place hasn't been used for a while, he thought. Into the mirror he starred, his forehead still showing traces of blood where his hands had wiped after flying away from the base, not realizing that it was cut, the pain never bothered him that much. He carefully ran his hands through his hair and hastily pulled out a few hairs. They were all gray, or at least looked like it in the dim light.

"Oh boy…" He muttered.

"Keyser?"

Keyser turned around quickly and pointed his hands at the man that was now sitting on his bed and looking at him with worried eyes. He soon realized that he did not in fact have any weapons and lowered his hands and smiled.

"Well well, Terry, good to see you again."

"Yes, it has been awhile."

"You look older."

"I'll take that to mean I'm more distinguished."

"You can think that, I suppose."

Keyser strolled slowly towards a lone chair and sat in it. "What brings you here?"

"Just checking up on an old friend…"

"Well, I'm fine, except for the hand. No problem though, it's going to be fine."

"I'm sure it will be."

Terry sighed heavily and turned to look at the sheets on the bed. "You know, I gotta say this is odd."

"What is?"

"That I'm feeling guilt."

"A Section 31 agent feeling guilt? You must be joking."

"I'm not Keyser. I'm sorry about what I did last year…I am."

"It's alright, hey, you found me a perfect base for the rebellion group."

"Ah yes…that's right."

"So stop worrying about it. You know what the boss says, Section 31 agents can't afford to feel guilty…it'll eat away at them. At least that's what the boss said when I was there."

"Yeah…I just wanted you to know that Captain Hawthorn knows that you and Jason are alright."

"You know about Jason!"

Terry was taken aback. "Uh…yeah, I kept an eye on him. Last I saw him he was discussing stuff with the people on the East Coast."

Keyser breathed another sigh of relief. "Another worry gone. Good, thanks Terry."

"Least I can do. Well, not really."

Terry reached into his clothes and pulled out a PADD and with hesitation handed it to Keyser. "Take a look."

Keyser stared at the PADD for a few seconds before it registered in his head. "What…what is this?"

"It's the latest data on the inner guard positions and the overall floor plan of Starfleet Headquarters."

Keyser stared at the PADD with his mouth hanging open. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Just something I thought you might need."

"Yeah, definitely…" said Keyser as he kept starring at the PADD. "Did the boss tell you to do this?"

"I'm…not really talking with the boss these days."

For once Keyser took his eyes off of the PADD. "What? You know, if you did this without his permission…this is sensitive data!"

"Don't worry about it Keyser. Frankly, I'm a little concerned about the boss."

"What's wrong with him?"

"The whole upper level there, they're concentrating on something else. I really want to tell you what it is," said Terry as he saw the look on Keyser's face, "but I can't."

"I understand, official Section 31 business eh?"

"You might say that."

Keyser glanced at the PADD again. "Thanks again Terry."

"Use it well Keyser."

Terry smiled at him and was then transported away.

Keyser sat back onto the bed and studied the PADD, everything looked right, this was the corridor I was led down when I had my first trial, he thought. In a flash he got up and ran to the door. For a moment he felt again the adrenaline rush through him, as if his biological clock ran backwards.

He tore down the corridors, passing technicians and soldiers, who he saw as mere simple shapes rushing past him. At last he reached an official looking gray door and pushed it open. Inside many people, including Harry and Alvris looked upon him with a mixture of surprise and welcome.

"Keyser!" Said Harry. "Welcome!"

Keyser grinned from ear to ear and held up the PADD. "I got a present for you."

---

"Sir?" Said Taurs as he carefully entered Barose's office. "You called me?"

Taurs waited for a response from Barose, who stood in front of the window, his back to him. Taurs thought the general looked different, bathed in the blood red of another Earth sunset.

"Yes," said Barose at last. "I did call you."

Barose turned around and faced his subordinate, the wrinkles on his face, signaling old age, were more pronounced than ever. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small doomed-shaped device and put it gently on the table. Taurs stared at it for a moment before realizing what it was.

"The data module!" He said. "Did we get the data?"

Barose looked coldly at Taurs and smashed the device with his hands. Taurs barely had time to comprehend what his superior was doing. Pieces of the device bounced off of Barose's uniform and scattered onto the floor in a clatter.

"Sir?"

"All the data was deleted by Keyser Soze," said Barose in a deadly whisper. "I want you to track down the scout ship and destroy it, perhaps see if you can get some data from it."

"Yes sir."

Taurs stood there and surveyed Barose, who was staring at the floor with a furrowed brow. Perhaps the pressure is getting to him, Taurs thought.

"I've had enough Taurs, enough." Said Barose. "These…these people, killing our citizens, our soldiers. How can I bring my family here, and promise them a happy place to live, when it's not! How can I do that to them!"

"I…I don't know sir."

"Well, I do." Said Barose, once again turning to the window. "Desperate times calls for desperate measures Taurs, and these are very desperate times."

"What are you saying sir?"

"The lives of these rebels are no longer valued. They are no longer seen as being worth anything."

"I don't quite understand."

"You trust me, don't you Taurs? You trust me that I will do the best thing to protect my people?"

"Of course sir, and so do everyone else. That's why you're in charge of this mission."

"Good," Said Barose as he turned to face Taurs once more. "If I said that we can't recognize a rebel from a normal Federation member, would you believe me?"

"Yes sir."

"And our goal is to be rid of these rebels, right?"

"Yes…sir."

"Well then, there is only one option for us at such a time as this. We need to get rid of them all."

"What?"

"They've brought it on themselves Taurs, they've played with us for far too long. From this moment on, anyone who is not Kraal will be killed. Do you understand?"

"Sir…that's genocide."

"It might be but these rebels are giving me no choice." Said Barose as his eye twitched.

"I'm sorry to say that I'm not in support of this idea."

Barose sighed and walked around the room, taking turn to look at certain objects. For a moment he laid his eyes on the table, the window, and then the bookcase.

"We've done it before Taurs," said Barose as he stared at his statue of Horac the warrior. "We did it in the past to make a home for our people."

"Perhaps, but-"

"Just answer me one thing, will you do it?"

Taurs looked straight into Barose's eyes. "I…"

"This is for the safety of our people."

"I…will. Sir."

"Then get started."

"Yes…sir."

---

Captain's log, supplemental: The refit of the Vanguard is finally complete. We are to be launched as soon as possible. Now is the time that I've been dreading, or looking forward to, since I found out what this mission entailed. It's time I told my crew about where we are going, and what we are to do there. I hope I can have cooperation from my crew because for the first time on this ship, I'm in fear of a mutiny.

---

Captain Hawthorn sat at the head of the table, head in her hands, and waiting for her crew to join her. She had ran through it so many times, on how to tell her crew the news that she's been hiding since that night when Terry first contacted her. In every one of her scenarios, she had envisioned the crew being completely shocked as to this pronouncement, and it usually ends with them abandoning her, and a tough, more military crew joining her on the Vanguard.

The door swished open and her crew walked in one by one, each as confused as the other as to what the next mission was about. When CaptH heard the door swish close, she slowly raised her head out of her hands and looked up at her crew, all looking at her with their curious, almost child-like eyes.

"What's going on captain?" Asked Adam.

CaptH sighed heavily. "There have been…certain things that I haven't been truthful about."

"I knew it." Said NAH.

"Told you" Said Kaitz.

"What?" Said CaptH.

"We knew something was up," said Kaitz.

"Yeah, you weren't acting like yourself." Said NAH.

"So what's this all about?" Asked PG.

"It's…it's about our next mission." Said CaptH hesitantly. "I'll be blunt. Jim, those refits you had to oversee, they weren't what you thought they were."

"But you told me-"

"I lied Jim. I had to."

"What were they then?" Asked Ice.

"The new parts included a new prototype Quantum Slipstream drive, as well as a Thaleron weapon."

"What!" Said Jim. "That's what I've been working on!"

"Yes. I'm sorry Jim."

"What are they for?" Asked NAH.

"We are to…to use the slipstream drive to get to Kraal Prime. Once there, we will use the Thaleron weapon on the planet."

A tense silence followed this.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Asked TC.

"The command council thought it might precipitate a mutiny. Now I know it's tough to swallow…"

"That's genocide!" Yelled Adam. "This is ridiculous Captain!"

"I know Adam. I know all of this. But…but we are at war…Starfleet thinks that we can't just keep on going like this, trying to deflect offensive after offensive. They think we have to strike back."

"And they think a genocide is a good idea!"

"Apparently so."

"I can't believe you allowed this!"

CaptH looked at Adam, her voice suddenly resolute. "You can and you will. I don't like this anymore than any of you, but this is for the Federation, for the alpha and beta quadrants. We leave as soon as possible. If you don't want to be part of this, you can leave. Otherwise…dismissed."

The crew looked at her solemnly and marched out of the briefing room.

"Captain," said Adam, stopping at the doorway.

"Yes Adam?"

"I can't allow you to do this."

"I'm afraid I have to."

"Then the best thing for you is to lock me up in the brig."

"Nonsense Adam. You know what I said, if you don't want to be part of this mission, then you can stay behind."

"I will not stay behind, I will not see the ship I love be sent off to some god-forsaken mission."

"What will you do then?"

Adam looked at his feet. "I'm not sure, but probably nothing good."

"Adam this is the Kraal! They've taken over the majority of the Federation, they've killed billions!"

"That doesn't justify wiping out their entire race!"

CaptH sighed and stared at Adam. "You won't leave?"

"No."

"Then I'll have to take you to the brig."

"So be it."

---

The door to the briefing room opened and CaptH and Adam stepped out. They both looked around the bridge for a moment, the rest of the bridge crew returning their gaze.

"Captain Adam has been relieved of his duty. He will spend the rest of this journey confined to the brig." Said CaptH professionally. "Take him away."

Two guards walked towards Adam, who looked at CaptH with a look that she did not know the meaning of. She watched as he was taken into the turbolift.

She turned back to face the rest of her bridge crew. Not one of them said a single word and all returned to their work. She lowered her head slightly and sat in the captain's chair, feeling that that chair didn't seem to fit her that well.

"Clear moorings." She said.

The spacedock's lights started to dim and the Vanguard started to light up into its full glory. The familiar hum of the engines and the familiar sounds on the bridge started to find themselves back into the ambience of the ship.

"Moorings cleared."

"Take us out Mr. Ice."

The Vanguard moved gracefully out of Spacedock, her hull glistening in the star it orbited.

"We're clear." Said Ice.

"Activate the quantum slipstream drive."

"Drive activated." Said Jim. "It's working perfectly."

"Set a course for Kraal Prime."

"Course laid in."

CaptH took one look at the viewscreen, and knew that she had to do it. There was no time to bail out now.

"Engage."

---

The pail blue sky faced Jason as he stared out at them through a viewscreen. He hasn't seen the real sky for days now. It all seemed like a blur, people planning, yelling, cooperating, and him, backed into a corner, listening and watching. He couldn't believe the scale of things he was dealing with on the East Coast, the sheer amount of people that's willing to give up their lives for freedom from the Kraal.

He sighed and sat down on a small step in front of the viewscreen, simulating a window to the outside world. He knew in his heart that he misses Keyser and the gang at the West Coast resistance, and once in a while he would hope that they are. But he can't help but realize the one main reason why he decided to come to this coast at all, why he volunteered for this mission in the first place.

"Hey Jason...having fun?" Said Sarah as she wiped sweat off of her face and sat down beside Jason.

"Oh, you know…enjoying the scenery."

"It's the best we got down here."

"Yeah…"

"You know, I thought you were pretty good at the last meeting, you'll make a good Captain one day."

"Thanks…"

Jason fell silent. He didn't care about the meeting that much. In truth he didn't really care about anything at the moment. His mind was blank, as if he was immersed in thought that once filled him.

"Are you alright?" Asked Sarah.

"I'm fine."

"I doubt it. I was aounselor before this, I can tell if something is wrong with a guy."

"There's nothing wrong with me." Said Jason monotonously.

"Is it family troubles?"

Jason turned to her with bulging eyes. He knew right away that this gave him away.

"I knew it. No offense Jason, but I expected this all along."

"You…you did?"

"You're the son of Keyser Soze, it would be weird if you weren't at least a bit dysfunctional."

Jason sighed. "Well, you got it."

"So what's wrong?"

"There was a reason why I took this job…I wanted to be away from him."

"Keyser?"

"Yeah…I know he's my dad, and I should love him, especially now when he loves me back…but I can't get myself to do it. God knows I've tried. But every time I look into his face I can see that cold dictator looking over me, killing what few of my friends I had onboard that God forsaken ship…"

Jason sighed heavily. "But now I feel guilty. He's a shell of a man, I can see that. He tries so hard to gain acceptance, and every day I see people who can't seem to accept that, that he's changed, that he's different. I have to be there to help him, but I'm not."

"You need to get to him," said Sarah softly. "I'm willing to bet that you haven't spend a lot of time with him since he changed."

"I have! I've helped him-"

"But that's it! You have to be with him as if you were equals. You're helping him set up a barrier between you, like one is more capable than the other."

"I can't help it…"

"Yes you can! Look, after this is over, I want you to spend more time with him. He needs you right now. Ok, so maybe I'm not in your family, and I only know you for a few days. But I can see that you are very important to him, and vice versa. You said he wants acceptance, well, you have to try to make sure that he at least gets that at home."

Jason looked at Sarah uncertainly, and smiled. "You're good."

"I know I am."

"Derrick to Jason," came a voice out of Jason's comm. badge.

"Jason here."

"The communication line you brought is working, we got a live feed from the West Coast."

"That's great!"

"Yes it is! Now come here, there's someone who wants to see you!"

---

"Jason!" Beamed Keyser's smiling face from the monitor. "It's so good to see that you're safe!"

"Thanks dad!"

"Is this line safe?"

"Uh, yes." Muttered Derrick.

"Ok good. No time for small talk son, what's going on over there?"

"This place is huge dad! We got enough people here to…well, set the whole coast on fire!"

Derrick and Sarah smiled as they stood behind Jason, watching the scene.

"Great. Things have been happening here as well. We're planning a full on invasion of Starfleet Headquarters."

"You're joking."

"Nope, not since we got some inside information from Terry, remember him?"

"How can I forget?"

"Indeed…are you sure this line is secure?"

"Yes dad."

"Alright, listen up, because this is going to be almost a world-wide effort." Said Keyser as he looked at a PADD off of the screen. "We have received word from Starfleet, remember that scout ship?"

"Yeah."

"Well, some how the message got through. The officials at Starfleet says that they are planning an offensive, and now that they know about us, they're going to coordinate their efforts with us."

"That's great!"

"Yeah. Our mission is to make as much trouble for the Kraal as possible from down here, so basically they will fight a war on two sides. There's only one thing though that we must do."

"Which is?"

"You know about the weapon platforms in orbit?"

"Yes we do."

"We have to disable them. I have a person here who's been a spy for Section 31 for years who will do that. However, he'll need a distraction so the Kraal doesn't capture him. We're going to be providing that distraction by assaulting Starfleet Headquarters."

"What do you want us to do?"

"Well…we only have so many people, so it won't be much of a distraction…"

Jason smiled. "You want me to provide a distraction for the distraction."

"Yes! And from the way you talked about the people over there, it's gonna be one hell of a distraction."

"We'll try our best dad," said Jason as he turned to Derrick "you think we can have a coast-wide riot in a few days?"

"We can have one now if you like."

"A few days will be fine. Dad, we'll get back to you on the specifics, but when do you want this?"

"The Alliance fleet will be here in approximately eight days. Be ready by then."

"Yes sir."

Keyser breathed a sigh of relief, as if he just finished a very important speech in front of some very important people. "It was good to hear your voice again son."

"Same here dad."

---

The early morning sky above Kraal Prime buzzed with activity as hundreds of shuttles came down in packs. They blocked the sunlight and pierced through clouds, and for as far as eye can see drifted downwards. Eventually, they landed softly on the grassy plain. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, it was as if these were seeds, inert upon first viewing. But then doors and hatches started to open, and the Kraal race stepped out.

"Looks like a good planet," said a particularly decorated man "It's a good thing we didn't come here for nothing.

"Indeed," said a man standing next to him who just stepped out of the shuttlecraft. "Life is going to be comfortable here."

"General Horac!"

Horac turned and a young Kraal ran towards him, a PADD in his hands.

"What's the matter private?"

"We just got a hail from the mothership, they're detecting life signs!"

"We didn't detect any from orbit."

"The scans show that they are emerging from underground, and we can't detect any life signs down there."

"There must be some thing down there that's blocking our scans." Said the General's friend.

"That must be it, keep me posted."

"Yes sir."

---

Boltini felt the jostling of the people around him as they ran up the steep passage towards the surface. In front of him he could see light, a different kind of light – sunlight.

"Tarla!" He yelled.

He waited and strained his ears to listen, but heard nothing. "Tarlaaa!" He tried to listen again, but there was still no answer.

In a flash he was on the surface. He can see small pods in the distance, contaminating the grasslands. In his heart hate arose for reasons that he did not know. Together with the crowd around them they ran for them, grabbing any weapons they could on the way.

---

"There!" Said Commander Tarkus as he starred out at the surrounding rolling hills. "General, I think we better get back."

"No," said Horac, "this is the perfect chance for first contact."

"With all due respect General, they don't look like the friendly type."

"We'll try it my way first, alright?"

"Yes sir."

They watched as thousands of people ran towards them, screaming and brandishing rocks, boulders and sticks. A hint of fear crept through their bodies, knowing that their long trip could end in death.

To their surprise, the crowd slowed down as it approached them. Straining their eyes, they saw an old man leading the pack, who held out his hands, screamed an order, and stopped. The crowd then calmly walked towards them.

"Hello, my name is General Horac."

"We know who you are!" Said Mimory sourly. "You are here to take over our planet!"

"No we are not. This is not a hostile takeover I assure you."

"Sure! You're all lying, we know, we know your true intentions."

"It is true we wish to live on your planet…perhaps we can coexist."

"How dare you!" Screamed Mimory. "My children will not live with murderers!"

"We are not murderer!"

"Lies!"

Mimory reached into his pocket and pulled out the tablet and held it tightly in his hands. "You will never receive the powers of the Gods!"

With one move he threw it onto the ground and crushed it with his foot. The sound of its destruction reverberated through the air, as if the very earth it was smashed on quaked. Boltini saw, as he stared through the crowd, strange sparkling substances drifting through the air above the wreckage of the tablet.

"I…I don't understand." Said Horac.

"Enough talk. You may kill us today, but one day, in the future, when you least expects it, you will be destroyed, you will all be destroyed for trespassing on the surface!"

Mimory starred at them for a moment that seemed to last forever. Boltini watched as Mimory seem to deflate, but only for a moment.

"ATTACK!" Yelled Mimory, gesturing towards the Kraal.

All of a sudden the crowd around Boltini seem to move as if it was one body of hate. He tried to keep upright but is having a very difficult time doing that. Ahead and around him people raised their various rudimentary weapons as they ran towards the Kraal.

---

"Get back to the shuttle!" Yelled Horac.

They ran as fast as they could and jumped in just in time and closed the hatch. They settled back on chairs and watched as the indigenous race gathered around the shuttle, trying to push it over.

Horac looked around him and he knew he had no choice. "Horac to the fleet, engage your shields at maximum strength."

A flurry of "Yes sir"s filled the atmosphere of the shuttlecraft.

"What are your orders, sir?" Asked Tarkus.

"You know we can't go anywhere else, we have expended our fuel, this is the only planet we have left, right?"

"I know that, I, along with the rest of the crew."

"That means this is our home," Said Horac painfully. "Whether these people allow us or not."

"Sir?"

"I have no choice commander."

Horac reached over the comm. and activated it. "Horac to mothership, target our location, full weapons."

"Sir! I protest!"

"It will be noted. We have to stop this here and now if we want a peaceful life!"

"But…"

"This is for the Kraal race!" Said Horac. "Mothership, Fire!"

Tarkus looked at Horac in horror as he collapsed onto the floor, lights streaming through the air ahead of them through the window. "Sir…"

"I'm…I'm sorry."

---

"Taaaaarlaaa!" Screamed Boltini, even though his throat is sour.

"Aicic!"

Boltini turned around just in time to see several glowing sphere come crashing downwards. They hit the earth with a bang that rang through the air. Dust and grass were thrown about along with people.

"Aicic!" Said Tarla as she threw herself on him. "There you are!"

"What's going on! What are those things raining from the sky!"

"I don't know!"

Another orb came flying by and hit the ground nearby, blinding both of them with dust.

"Ah!" Screamed Boltini.

Without warning, a strange image flashed through his mind, a hollow chamber, a large machine, and two women. Boltini grabbed his head, thinking that something must have damaged it.

"Did you…see that?"

"See what?" Asked Tarla worryingly.

Boltini opened his mouth to speak but was horrified by what he saw: thousands of bodies around him, lying dead, some without arms, or legs, or heads, all around his feet. Above him a light started to brighten and he knew what was about to happen. In the split second, he felt his sister grab onto him, he saw the shuttle which the leader came out of, he saw the sadness on his face as he starred out over the plains of death. In the next moment, all went dark, as if Gods have turned off the light in the universe.

"Tarla!"

"Nick!"

"…Tarla?"

Boltini opened his eyes and came face to face with EWDEE's, who was starring down on him, face stained with sweat.

"Who's Tarla?" Came Kick's voice.

"Nick," said EWDEE, "are you alright?"

Boltini's mind was a swirling vortex of thoughts as he attempted to comprehend what's in front of him.

"Kith?"

"Yes! He remembers!"

"What's happened?"

"I'm not sure, you were hit by some kind of energy beam, and then you blacked out."

"I…I didn't black out."

"What do you mean?"

"Hey guys," came Kick's voice. "Do you think this machine is getting louder?"

"Not now Kick," said EWDEE. "What do you mean?"

"I…I was somewhere else, no, I was here, but my mind…this is all very confusing."

"You were here this whole time."

"Uh…this machine is really getting louder guys."

"Not now! Go on Nick."

"Where are we?"

"We're inside that tower, remember?"

"The tower…the weapon!"

"What?" Said Kick, taking her eyes off of the machine on the back wall. "What about the weapon?"

"This tower is the weapon…but it's more than that, it's a memory bank…I'm the person."

"I don't understand."

"You see, I was in the past, when all the city was filled with people…the Grand Myth, that was it, it's true. The people here, they relied on an old prophet for information, and he had a…"

Boltini reached into his pocket and pulled out a slab of metal.

"That's the thing you picked up from down the street!" Said EWDEE.

"Didn't we say to get rid of it?" Said Kick.

"No…he relied on a tablet of some sort, and he dropped it…this was part it! This was the part of a tablet that told him the future!"

"Are you sure?"

"I was there!"

"No you weren't."

"My mind was! Anyway, he told us that this tower is both a weapon that will destroy the Kraal one day, as well as a memory bank that contains the memory of one person in the Crolan Race…that's what the people here called themselves…and one day the memory will be transferred to someone else, and that person will trigger the weapon…this whole place, that part by the lake that lit up when I touched it, the door being open…it was all for us…me…to come and get this information and activate the weapon!"

Boltini instinctively looked at the machine, and for the first time he realized how loud it has become. "I…think we might have a problem."

"I told you!" Yelled Kick.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them quaked, and the machine behind them started to rumble. Lights could be seen stretching up to the summit.

"It's started…"

"We better get out of here."

"How?"

As if to answer EWDEE's question, the lone door at the other end of the chamber crashed open, revealing the dark corridor that they went through a mere twelve hours ago.

"Come on! Let's get the hell out of here!"

---

"Hey."

Adam looked up from the brig floor at NAH, who was starring down at him. He had in his hands a small bowl of soup and was wearing a very fake-looking smile.

"Want some food?" He said.

"No thanks…maybe later." Said Adam as he returned to starring at the floor. "Does the captain know that you're doing this?"

"It was her orders."

Adam returned his gaze to NAH, who stepped backwards as if being hit by a weak phaser. "That's awfully nice of her."

"Yes it is," said NAH, taking a sip of the soup. "Come on Adam, cooperate, you never know, maybe she won't fire."

"You weren't there NAH, I saw the anger in her eyes. She probably wants nothing more than to exterminate the whole Kraal race."

"Well…we are at war…"

"There are still rules and ethics in war."

"Alright, fine. Tell me if you want some food." Said NAH as he walked away.

Adam looked down again at the floor. For days he had sat here, once in a while taking a bite of bread. He knew exactly what's bothering Captain Hawthorn, and that was the problem, knowing that she is capable of doing this and not living a lie. He sighed to himself as he looked around him, they have had problems before, but it has never gotten this bad, at least not when they were both of sound minds. This was serious, and perhaps it's a good time to really take effort and go out to find a new ship, he thought.

"Adam."

"I'm not hungry."

"I'm not NAH."

Adam looked through the force field and saw Captain Hawthorne looking down at him, her face a blank of emotions. "How are you?" She said.

"Fine, pretty good."

"Do you want to come out?"

"Are you still going to exterminate a species?"

CaptH sighed. "They are my orders Adam."

"It doesn't matter!" Said Adam, standing up "you've disobeyed orders before, we all have. It's about what's right and wrong."

"Oh yeah? And who decides that? They killed EWDEE, not to mention millions, billions of people, and who knows what they're doing on Earth!"

CaptH punched the wall beside the brig and wiped her face with her sleeve. "Ok, let's not get into that right now. Either way…I need you on the bridge."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do!"

"I'm sure mcmac or PG or Kaitz can fill my shoes nicely."

"That's not what I meant Adam."

Adam sat down silently on the bench and continued to stare at the floor. Again, he realizes that he understands her perfectly, but there was almost no way he could follow her orders, not when billions of lives are at stake.

"Before we left, during the meeting with the Admirals…Admiral Janeway told me to give them mercy."

Adam looked up at her. "She did?"

"She had the same mindset you had. She wanted that my mind is not clouded with emotions."

"She's right."

"I know she's right." Said CaptH, pausing to collect her thoughts. "I will follow her orders Adam, I will give them mercy. I'll tell them exactly what we have and what we're planning to do with it. The ball will be in their court. It's their decision."

"That sounds…fairer."

"Will you come back?"

"I still don't know why you need me."

"You're the first officer…a captain needs her first officer first and foremost. Sure, I can get someone else to be that person but it won't be right. A first officer…under normal circumstances cannot be replaced. I need you Adam, and you know you need me."

"I…" stuttered Adam. "You're right."

"We know each other well Adam, there's bound to be shock when you find something new about me."

"True."

"I'll try my best to…show them mercy, but I'll do that better with you by my side."

Adam thought for a moment and stood up and faced CaptH. "Then I'll gladly do that…if you release me."

"Sure." Said CaptH, smiling.

"Captain," said PG's voice through the comm. "We've arrived at Kraal Prime."

"Drop out of slipstream."

"Yes captain."

"Well," said CaptH "I guess it's time for mercy."

"It sure is."

---

"Well, that's done," muttered GK as he pressed a button on a small device.

The great hall of the transport building vanished in the matter stream. The blue-sky roof faded away, along with the many passengers not noticing this event.

In a blink of an eye GK rematerialized on the Triton City. He chuckled merrily at a job well done and sat down before the control console.

"Oh no…"

In front of him, looming like a bird of prey hovered a Kraal fighter, pointing straight at his cockpit. Its silvery wings reflected the natural beauty surrounding them.

"Kraal fighter Kramus to terrorist vessel, disengage your cloak immediately." Bellowed a burly voice through the comm. system.

GK quickly tapped the controls in front of them, and the sight of the fighter swiped to the right as the Triton City started to turn. Suddenly, the ship around him shook as weapons smashed into its unprotected hull.

"Deja Vu…"

---

"We're entering the Kraal solar system captain," said mcmac.

"Engage the weapon," said CaptH. "Just in case" she added.

Adam gave her a weary eye as the sound of the weapon's activation permeated the bridge. "I hope the Kraal knows what's good for them."

"Me too," said CaptH.

"We got a problem," said PG. "I'm detecting seventy-two ships, they're all approaching us."

"Probably seen us coming," said Kaitz.

"I have a feeling they're always there." Said CaptH.

"We can't take on seventy-two ships," said NAH.

"We'll try," said CaptH as she sat down in the captain's chair. "Red alert, battlestations!"

---

The world around them roared as EWDEE, Boltini, and Kick ran quickly through the dark tunnel connecting the outside to the inner chamber of the dark tower. EWDEE reached into her pocket and fished out her tricorder and looked through it. Doubt filled her face as a jumbled mess came tumbling bout.

"Tricorder still not working!" She yelled through the din.

"Just wait till we're out of here!"

The mighty stone doors loomed ahead as they reached the end of the corridor. Slowly they pushed it aside and walked through. Almost immediately a booming sound struck them, as if the land around them was falling apart.

Kick starred into cavern, and for a moment it seemed that there was lightning. She quickly looked up at the tower, and her mouth dropped open.

"Look!" She yelled.

Both EWDEE and Boltini swiveled their heads up to the summit of the tower, and what they saw could not have frightened them further: a plume of energy roared out of the central orb between the two spikes on the summit and struck the roof of the massive cave. The rocks immediately surrounding it are glowing, forming almost a halo among the tumult of the tower.

"What the hell is going on!" Kick yelled.

"Let me check!" Said EWDEE, once again starring at her tricorder. "According to this, that orb is pumping energy directly into the rock face…the chemicals are absorbing it."

EWDEE's brow furrowed as she looked more closely at her tricorder. "Oh no…"

"What?"

"Don't you see? Every substance has a limit on how much energy it can absorb. According to these readings, those chemicals have already absorbed more energy than needed."

"Needed to do what?" Yelled Boltini.

"If all that energy is released in one burst, it could level half the planet!"

Kick suddenly turned her head to her right as she heard another noise, this time different than those she heard before. She saw, against the walls of the chamber, mighty cracks that seemed to have stretched from the target of the tower above her.

"Hey guys…I think we might have more problems…"

---

The citizens of Tunorous trembled in fear as the ground beneath them shook and swayed. Slowly, plumes of gas erupted out of ordinary sewage lines, as if the moisture contained within was being boiled.

Screams permeated the atmosphere of the city as the people ran in horror for they knew what's about to happen. The last tales of the Great Myth were about to be told. Suddenly, in the center of town a fault line opened up and mighty geysers of steam and debris rocketed into the sky. For a moment it seemed that the pressure has been released, but that was not the case.

In the next second the ground on which Tunorous was built was swept clean as a shockwave spread across it. In the second after that a mighty plume of energy erupted into the sky, sending nearby clouds in random directions as if the hand of God himself commanded them to move.

Several kilometers away the Triton City swept across the sky, once in a while diving near the canopy and skirting trees as its pursuers followed.

"Get off of my back, would ya!" Yelled GK rhetorically.

With sweat running down his face and his cabin quickly filling up with smoke, GK looked forward at the stream of energy now rising into the sky, and terror filled his face.

"Kick!" He yelled.

In an instinctive move the Triton City rose out of the trees and darted directly for Tunorous and its ruins.

---

As EWDEE, Boltini, and Kick watched, the stream of energy above them started to diminish, and eventually went out. The light from the Kraal star now illuminating the cave cast the ruins of the old Crolan city into sharp relief amidst the dusty ground.

"Uh…now what?" Said Kick.

"I don't know…" said Boltini.

Another noise rose amidst the sudden silence in the cave, and again the trio raised their heads skywards: small outcroppings jetted out of the tower as if to receive the natural light of which it never saw. Slowly, lazy wisps of energy floated down from the bright ring around the aperture to the sky and into the outcroppings. As the trio watched, streamers of energy shot down the tower, past them, and out of sight.

"Ok," said Kick "I give up. Call me when something that makes sense starts happening."

In a moment the interlude was over. The ground beneath them shook again as pulse after pulse of sound swept through them. The three lost their balance and fell onto the surprisingly warm landing outside of the tower's gates.

Boltini's mind was swimming as he starred at the ceiling of the cave, as if his mind was either downloading or uploading some form of data that he can't get at. The streamers of energy kept moving, while the sky beside them floated silently and serenely. It was as if his body has given up, he did not know what has happened. Slowly he turned towards the cliff that was facing the ruins of the Crolan city. For a moment he stopped there, confusion filling his face as a warm wind swept past it. Silently he peered over the edge.

"Oh my God…"

"Huh?"

"Look at this…"

Kick and EWDEE slowly walked towards the edge of the cliff as waves after waves of quakes passed over their surroundings.

"How!" Said Kick, astonished.

Beneath them laid a sea of lava, burning rock rolling over itself and illuminating the cave around them. Slabs of stone from the rock face tumbled down to the sea of fire every once in a while.

"What the heck is going on!"

"I told you," said Boltini "it's started. This is the end, the weapon has been activated."

EWDEE looked back up the tower and back down at the lava. "I think I get it…"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think it was actually possible for a primitive race to develop a weapon of this magnitude."

"We were not primitive!" Said Boltini in anger.

"Uh…sorry about that. Well, even if they weren't that primitive, we're talking about a planet buster here."

"Well then, how does it work?"

"It's all in the chemicals on the walls, they retain energy…those things on the side of the tower, they must collect the energy and funnel it down into the ground…once there they can do a lot of damage, including this." Said EWDEE as she gestured towards the lava.

"Don't you think it's going to need more energy than what it got?"

"It's not finished yet, I don't think so." Said EWDEE as she consulted her tricorder. "According to this, that orb is still growing in strength, if it let it all out in one burst, it could expose the chemicals to more energy than they could handle."

"It's going to be very explosive, isn't it?" Said Boltini.

"It might."

"Enough of this," said Kick. "We better get the hell out of here, while we still have the chance.

"Agreed."

The trio walked gingerly towards the bridge. Before it they looked at each other and they all understood. As if they were trained they each lined up behind one another in single file and started along the narrow path.

"Is it just me, or is this bridge warmer than before?" Said Boltini.

"Convection," said EWDEE. "We better make it out of here quick."

"I don't think it's that hot."

"Not the heat, it's the weakness of the metal now that it's warmer. We have to hurry."

They quickly walked along the bridge, all the time peering down below at the pool of lava.

"Do you guys hear something?" Said Kick.

"What's with you and sounds?"

"No, it's like a creaking."

Kick slowly raised her head and her eyes off of the bridge and looked at the cliff opposite her. "I knew it." She said.

"What?"

"Look across my friends, this bridge is sagging."

"Well then…faster!" Screamed Boltini.

Almost running, the trio made for the other side, all of them with their eyes wide open and their ears closed, fearing the sounds of defeat, but it came anyway.

"Ah!" Yelled EWDEE as the bridge behind her collapsed.

In the ensuing noise and confusion, she knew nothing other than to hang on to whatever was offered to her. In a flash her hands caught on to what seemed like an outcropping. She opened her eyes and saw that she was holding onto part of the crumbling bridge, now looking like rubber in her hands. She could feel the burning taking place on her skin as the bridge heated up to ever increasing temperatures. Behind her the remains of the bridge snapped off of the landing in front of the tower and fell with a sickening splash into the rising pool of lava.

"Kith!"

Boltini crept over to EWDEE's dangling body as she starred back in defiance. "Give me your hand quick!"

EWDEE raised her free hand as the pain in the other crawled up her arm. "It's too far!"

With determination in his face Boltini held up one hand and jammed it into a burning crevice into the bridge. Pain swept through him as the heat shot up his limb. He flung himself forward, almost past the point of no return, even though his hand was held firm by the crack in the bridge.

"Now!" He screamed.

"Your hand!"

"Forget it! Just come on!"

Boltini closed his eyes with pain as he felt Kick's hands on his shoulders, trying to pull both him and EWDEE back from the bright abyss before them. Meanwhile the bridge creaked even louder under the weight.

"Ahhhh!"

With one lurch EWDEE came up from the end of the bridge, her free hand firmly clasped onto the side of the lonely stretch of metal over the sea of fire as Boltini freed his ruined hand from the crevice. Kick quickly let go of Boltini and pulled EWDEE up onto the bending bridge.

"Come on!"

Together the trio got up and rushed to solid ground as the bridge snapped off of his foundations and fell into the lava, a sight which the trio never saw as they ran from the tower and its immediate surroundings.

"You're going to be alright?" Asked Boltini.

"Forget about me, what about your hand?"

"It's alright."

"Why don't you two just shut the hell up so we can quickly get out of here!" Screamed Kick.

The ground rumbled around them as the lava pool lurched upwards, the frothing remains of former solid rock churned as more of its distant cousins were added to the mix. Every once in a while one of the trio would turn around and look at the frothing bowl in the distance, and once in a while a spurt of lava would come stream out of its container, flooding the surroundings and reducing everything it touches into ashes.

"Nick!" Yelled EWDEE as she looked upwards.

Boltini stopped, confused as he looked back at EWDEE's horror ridden face. With a sickening crunch his legs gave out beneath him as he collapsed onto the ground. Pain once again filled his body as he peered beyond a rim of tears in his eyes at the giant boulder now sitting on his right leg.

"Ugh…"

"Get that thing off of him!" Yelled Kick. "And hurry!"

EWDEE felt the heat behind her as she quickly dragged Boltini back from the boulder, which Kick attempted to hold up. She turned around for a moment and saw the rolling lava come streaming towards them.

"Oh my…"

Boltini's face was screwed up in pain, as his mangle leg lay useless following his torso. Blood spilled in pools surrounded him.

"Well doc," said Kick "what do you think?"

"You don't have to be a doctor to figure this out." Said EWDEE in frustration. "It's broken. Come on, hold him up, we better get out of here before that lava comes any closer."

Kick and EWDEE heaved Boltini off of the blood stained road as a single tear rolled down Boltini's beaten cheek.

"Come on Nick, let it out…"

"May…maybe later." He gasped in agony.

"How are we going to get up that chute?" Asked Kick.

"We'll find a way."

---

"Aft shields down to forty seven percent!" Yelled PG.

"Hard to port, target their weapon control systems!"

"No effect! Captain this is useless!"

CaptH bit her lip and glanced at Adam, who looked back in confusion.

"Are you alright Captain?" He asked calmly amidst the wreckage of the bridge.

"I'm sorry Adam," she said. "Mr. Ice, give me a short burst of Slipstream, we need to get out of this fleet."

"Yes ma'am"

The Vanguard flew past battleships as pieces of her hull came flaking off before entering the blue tunnels of slipstream.

"What are you doing captain?" Asked Adam, afraid of the answer.

"We're out of slipstream," reported Ice.

"The fleet is heading for us at full impulse." Said mcmac.

"Point us at them, get ready to fire the weapon."

"Captain!" Yelled Adam. "There must be another way!"

"Listen Adam!" Said CaptH as anger erupted within her. "This is not the time!"

"We can't do this!"

"We have to and we will!"

"They'll be within range in twenty seconds."

"Captain, I beg of you…at least tell them what you're doing, let them consider it."

"Right, let them know that we're here to destroy their planet, not a very smart thing to be telling them I think."

"Captain PLEASE!" Screamed Adam.

"Adam you're acting out of line."

"Ten seconds."

"We can't just kill them like this."

"They stand in the way of our mission!"

Adam starred at CaptH for a moment that seemed like a life time. "You…can't"

"I don't want to…but I can."

"We're within range."

"…Fire!"

"Noooo!"

PG looked up as Adam came at him, trying to break his hold of the tactical console. "Captain!"

A beeping sound rang through Adam's ears as the weapon is activated with a push of a button. He swiveled his head and watched the viewscreen.

The auxiliary deflector dish started to light up with green, and in a flash a ring of light was blown out of it and clear of the ship. It flew through space, harmless in sight as it swept out a shimmering envelop around the approaching fleet.

"It's working," reported PG.

"Life signs are decreasing," said Kaitz. "…And they're gone."

CaptH's hate of the Kraal vanished in an instant, as if the lead weight in his stomach has been replaced with helium, as all of her justified actions are no longer in that condition. She turned and looked at Adam, now with this face in his hands and sitting at his chair. She slowly came to him and sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's too late for that…"

CaptH placed her hand on his shoulder, and he didn't budge. She lowly exhaled, looked around the bridge and lowered her head.

"Set a course for Kraal Prime…best speed."

---

The home of the Crolan race blazed with fire as the ground cracked and moaned under the stress of the weapon. Houses burned, streets inundated, and the walls glowed. Through this environment now ran EWDEE and Kick, carrying a bleeding Boltini with them.

"Almost there!" Said Kick.

A roaring sound erupted in front of them as another fault line opened up and a familiar yellow light came flooding out of it.

"No matter," said EWDEE. "Just jump."

Carefully, the trio leapt across the crack, while Boltini uttered a cry of pain.

"You alright?"

"I'll…be fine."

They ran and dodged various flying debris, while behind them the orb on the summit of the tower glowed ever more brightly and ever more powerfully. Beneath it the pool of lava overflowed its boundaries and was now flooding the cave.

"Didn't look like this before…" said Kick as they finally reached their entrance.

In front of them was a moist depression, empty of any visible water. The lake they had landed in was gone, and nowhere can they see the place where they first entered this underground city.

"Up…there!" Gasped Boltini.

The trio looked skywards and saw a small hole at least thirty feet above them on the rock face.

"It didn't feel that high before…"

"No…there…there is another…" panted Boltini.

"Another exit?"

"Yes…the Crolan used it…over…that way…"

"Lead us on then!" Said Kick as another stream of lava erupted behind her. "Quick!"

---

"GK to Kick…come in Kick!"

The Triton City rocked around GK as he attempted to contact the others. Around it the Kraal fighters flew this way and that, blasting the small vessel with as many weapons as they can.

"Kick, if you're reading this…I can't reach you guys, I'm under attack. I'm working on something right now…just stay put, and stay safe!"

---

The amber light of the lava spread across the cave as Kick and EWDEE led the injured Boltini to a nearby cliff face. In the distance the orb atop the tower begins to pulsate, and once again shedding waves of light.

"Where are you taking me!" Screamed Boltini. "You're trying to kill me!"

"What the hell is he on about?" Shouted Kick over the din of the carnage around her.

"It's not him, these chemicals, they seem to emit some kind of radiation, it's affecting his brain."

"What about us?"

"We're exposed to it too, it's just that we're more alert."

"I wonder how the people who lived here put up with it…"

"Maybe they didn't…how else would they spent so much effort to built a machine that would destroy an entire planet purely based on some 'prophecy'?"

"Pies!"

"Can you shut him up!"

"Just wake him up a bit." Said EWDEE as she and Kick set him down. "Nick, can you hear me?"

"Do you have an oven?"

"Give him a kiss, that'll wake him up."

"Shut up. Nick…come on Nick, we need you right now. Tell us where the passageway is…"

"Over there!" Boltini yelled and pointed his fingers at a small hole in the wall.

Kick ran to it and started to dig around its border. "He's not kidding…there's definitely something here."

A low rumble rippled across the cave as a large fissure opened up, cleanly slicing the ruined city in half. Within seconds lava exploded out of the canyon, vaporizing anything that touched it.

"Kick! Get out of there!" Yelled EWDEE.

Kick ran away just in time to see a slab of rock come crashing down over the cave entrance, safely blocking it from view, and our heroes from salvation.

"Ah crap." Said Kick. "Now what?"

EWDEE took a look at the now drooling Boltini and sat down beside him amidst a pool of blood. "Nick…can you hear me?"

"Hmmm…"

"Kith?" Said Kick quietly.

"What?"

"What are we going to do?"

"I…I don't know."

---

CaptH starred out in wonder at the turquoise globe now serving as the centerpiece on the Vanguard's viewscreen. Never has she seen a planet more beautiful, more majestic.

"We are within range." Said Ice.

Adam raised his face out of his hands for the first time in the last few minutes and looked hard at CaptH, hoping that she understands what he felt, and what he wanted her to do.

"Open a channel TC."

"Captain?"

"Do it."

"Alright," said TC as he operated the console before him. "Channel open."

"This is Captain Hawthorne of the Federation starship Vanguard, we are here…we are here to deliver a message. Please respond."

The bridge crew waited in silence as the planet hung motionless before him. Adam took the time to stand up and walk towards CaptH, to stand beside her.

"Broadcast the message again," said CaptH.

"Captain," said mcmac, "I don't know if this is related to them not answering…but I'm detecting a massive energy source on the northern continent. It's growing in strength."

"Any idea what it is?"

"Nope."

CaptH sighed. "Let's give them a little more time, shall we?"

---

"Nick…Nick talk to me…"

"Uh…wha?"

EWDEE looked at Boltini tearfully as wave after wave of heat blasted her from behind. She and the others sat nearby the cliff face where their last chance for escape just vanished. Boltini looked at her with confusion and shook his head.

"Ki…Kith?"

"Nick! Talk to me."

"What's going on…?"

"What _is_ going on?" Said Kick. "I thought the chemicals were making him dumb."

"I'm not sure…maybe it's the environment…the heat, I don't know."

"My leg…" whispered Boltini. "Dammit…"

"How are you feeling?" Asked EWDEE. "I mean besides the leg."

"Pretty well, head still a little hazy..."

Boltini looked past EWDEE at the cave around him. He can clearly make out the ruined house where he thought he had lived in for his entire life, but that was a past life, an alternate life. In a flash the house ignited and was turned to ashes. He looked back at EWDEE, at the silent marks left by tears on her ruby red cheeks.

"Look…" said Boltini as he picked up her hand. "I've been meaning to tell you a few things…"

Kick looked up at them.

"Uh…I was thinking, before all of this of course…if we ever made it out of here, we could…you know, if you ever have shore leave…and you need a place to stay…"

"Why don't you two just get a room?" Said Kick while chuckling.

"That's the general idea." Said Boltini.

A smile slowly spread across EWDEE's face. "If you think I should, I don't see why not Nick."

For a moment it seemed that the chaos around them died down and turned to nothingness. Boltini's mind filled with his history, of how they met, of how he left her behind. Tears welled up in his eyes, something he attributed to the pain in his legs on the outside, but knew better on the inside. This was something he had wanted to say, wanted to express ever since he got better, but never found the time or mood to do it.

Kick watched as EWDEE and Boltini just starred at each other and decided to take a nap.

"Hey, you guys hear something?" She said, opening up her eyes.

EWDEE turned her head and looked at Kick sarcastically. "What now?"

"Sounds like a bird or something…I'm not sure."

They looked up into the ceiling and one moving spot caught their eye, it did indeed look like a bird. It floated down amidst the rising hot air over the expanding lava field and headed for them, almost like an eagle dive-bombing for its prey.

"That's not a bird."

"Not a plane either…"

They watched as a small projectile came flying from it, and in a moment too short to register, the projectile hit Kick on the shoulder.

"Ow!" She screamed as she dematerialized.

"GK!" Shouted EWDEE and Boltini as relief filled them.

In the next moment two other projectiles came flying out of it and headed for the two that are remaining.

"Here we go…" said EWDEE awkwardly as the projectile hit her on the arm, mixed between pain and happiness.

"Yep," said Boltini, letting go of her and watching as she, too, disappeared. "OUCH!" Yelled Boltini a moment later as the third projectile hit him on the right leg. "GK! I'LL GET YOUUUuuuuu…"

The sound of Boltini's screams permeated the cave as, at last, he dematerialized as well.

---

"I'll kill you!"

"My my, aren't we friendly today." Said GK as he starred at the pained face of Boltini. "What's happened?

"There was an accident," said Kick as the Triton City shook around her. "What's going on up here?"

"Just a couple of Kraal fighters."

"How did you get us up here anyway?" Asked EWDEE.

"I've been trying to duplicate Kick's mobile transporter thing for a year now, as you know," said GK as another volley hit his ship. "Finally got it to work, and I just tested it."

"You tested it on us!" Screamed Boltini.

"Uh…yeah."

"Get us out of here!" Said Kick.

"You got it!"

The cabin shook violently as an energy wave smashed into its aft end, throwing its occupants yelling onto the ground. GK slowly got up and looked at the console in front of him.

"What the hell was that!" Screamed EWDEE.

"Holy..." stuttered GK, "something just went off behind us, I'm reading a massive shockwave heading for us."

"The weapon…it's detonated…" gasped Boltini as he watched the view in front of him brighten. He could just make out the trees in the distance being blown down onto the ground by the initial energy wave.

Behind the ship a dome of energy spread from where Tunorous once stood, now enveloping everything as it attempts to cover the planet. The Kraal fighters were soon encased in the wave. Near the ground the rocks and soil were tossed up into the air, and then pulled apart molecule by molecule. The Triton City looked like a pebble compared to it.

"We're not going to get out of here in time," said Kick as she starred at GK's console.

"Oh yes we will!"

GK's hands sprang onto the console and started to almost randomly push buttons. "Come on…"

"What are you doing!" Asked Kick as she starred dumbfounded at the console. "You can't do that in the atmosphere!"

"Watch me."

---

"I'm still not getting anything," said TC. "I guess they don't want to talk to us."

CaptH looked at Adam mournfully, and he understood that her mind has made up, and that the last hope for the Kraal has just vanished.

"Wait," said mcmac, "I'm reading a massive energy wave, it's emanating from that energy source we detected earlier."

"On screen."

The screen focused onto the north continent, and onto an extraordinarily bright patch that's spreading itself over the forests, and inland seas of the majestic planet.

"I'm also reading instabilities within the planet itself," reported mcmac, "it looks like the entire planet might explode any moment now."

"Mr. Ice," said CaptH, "move us away, best speed."

"Aye aye."

As they watched wide swaths of bright energy flooded the surface of Kraal Prime, the small white patch that had devastated the north continent continued to spread. Soon red fault lines started to appear. The Vanguard groaned as the massive energy that originated in simple chemicals found in a cave smashed into its bow.

And then it happened. The planet was instantly covered in white energy. Various shards of the globe could be seen flying off, before they too were covered in the envelope. The shockwave smacked into the Vanguard without remorse, tossing its crew backwards as the ship is thrown around like a small toy. The crew watched as what seemed like pieces of civilization mixed with the debris of the once beautiful planet wash over their ship.

Slowly, the shockwave passed, and everything seemed to return to serenity. The bridge crew got off of the ground, the lights returned and brightened. They all looked at each other, unknown as to what caused the showcase that they just witnessed.

"Wow…" said NAH, open-mouthed.

"Uh…I'm getting a slipstream signature captain…" said mcmac, trying futilely to take his eyes off of the viewscreen.

"Kraal ships?"

"No…this is amazing…"

"What is it?"

"I don't understand…it's the Triton City."

"It's hailing." Said TC.

"On screen."

GK, Kick, and EWDEE's visage appeared on the viewscreen, while a suffering Boltini tried to sit up in the background, trying to be seen. CaptH and the rest of the crew watched the screen, mouths opened again.

"E…EWDEE?"

"It's good to see you again Captain."

CaptH was speechless. The emotions now mixing inside her were some of the most confusing that she has ever endured. Her hate for the Kraal seemed to have been twisted and perverted into something she didn't know, while the cause for it has simply vanished. A relieved EWDEE, a person who she, as well as the rest of the crew thought to be dead, starred back at her.

"It's…it's good to have you back."

"Permission to dock?" Said GK.

"Of…of course."

---

_Captain's log, supplemental: I'm at a loss at what has happened in the past hour. Our enemy's planet has been destroyed, but not by us. Some of the people that we thought were dead, or on Earth, or simply not supposed to be here, are here. Hopefully we'll get some answers soon. In the meantime, Jim has informed me that the Slipstream engines are ready to go. Looks like we're going home._

---

Boltini opened his eyes and saw the bright lights of the Vanguard's sickbay starring back at him. The pain that was pumped through his legs only moments ago was gone. He slowly sat up and took notice of EWDEE who was standing by him with tearstains down her face. Without speaking he stretched out his hands and took hers.

"It…it feels great."

"Everything should be healed." Said EWDEE softly.

In silence the two hugged each other and EWDEE's tears dripped down Boltini's back.

"I'm sorry about Anna," said Boltini.

"It's…it's alright…it's war."

"That's no excuse…"

The two held each other back and starred at each other. Boltini knew that this was not the time to try to further their relationship, and he has a feeling that that has already happened, inadvertently.

"EWDEE and Boltini," came CaptH's voice though the comm. system, "please come to the briefing room."

"Well," said Boltini solemnly, "let's go."

---

"And that's what happened," said Boltini, finishing his story.

"So," said CaptH, "this 'Grand Myth' was all true?"

"Apparently," said Kick.

"I still don't understand why the Kraal would invade the Federation just because of some story, even if it came true." Said GK.

"Why not?" Said PG. "People have gone to war because of stories and myths, especially if they've been ingrained into the people's heads."

"If it were me, I wouldn't take those raving lunatics seriously," said NAH.

"Where is that piece of metal Boltini was talking about?" Asked Ice.

"Kaitz is analyzing it," said Adam. "Then, the peculiar thing shifts to this…Crolan race."

"Yeah," said NAH "Where did _they_ get the idea that the Kraal would come?"

"I think I might be able to answer that," said Kaitz as she walked through the door, PADD in and, "I've analyzed this metal piece…and it's quite confusing."

"Everything else is." Said Kick.

"What do you mean?" Asked CaptH as she turned to face her.

"First of all, I did a quantum dating on this device…and captain, I don't know how it could be possible, but it seems to be from the future."

"What!" Shouted Jim.

"You heard me," said Kaitz. "It seems to be comprised of nanobots, but they're all offline now, and I can't get anything out of it."

"Nanobots? Could it be the Borg?"

"I didn't find anything to do with the Borg in it," said Kaitz.

"You said that the prophet used the device that this piece of metal belonged to…to look into the future?"

"Yep," said Boltini.

"Could be a communication device," said TC.

"But where did it come from?" Asked Jim.

"No idea, either way, it's going to be nearly impossible to know what it is…it's pretty much dead."

"Well, look into it anyway, take anyone and any resources you need." Said CaptH.

"Yes Captain."

"If there is nothing else…dismissed."

The crew got up and filed out of the room, each contemplating what he or she has just heard. CaptH looked up and, just as she expected, Adam did not move.

"Confusing, isn't it?" Asked Adam.

"Sure is," said CaptH.

There was silence between them, but CaptH could tell from the expression on Adam's face that something was wrong, and she was pretty sure of what that something is.

"Look captain…I'm sorry for what I did." Said Adam.

"You're a man of principals Adam, if you didn't do what you did, I would've been worried."

"What's going to happen now?"

"Nothing, as far as I'm concerned."

"Nothing?"

"If you mean I'm going to report you…not going to happen."

"But I disobeyed orders…"

"Remember what I said before Adam, that I needed you as a first officer…that's more important than some orders. I know why you disagreed, and I still trust you, and that's all that matters."

"And I still trust you."

"That's good to know."

---

"Knock knock."

Keyser looked up from a pile of PADDs and starred absentmindedly at Ann standing in the doorway, a smile on her face, and her leg fully healed. She slowly strolled towards him and sat down.

"You look well," said Keyser.

"I feel well," said Ann "the doctors here are amazing."

"That's what Harry said, best of the best, and all that."

"How's everything?"

"Fine, why?"

"We haven't talked for a while, you gotta fill me in on what's happening."

"Well," said Keyser as he unearthed a few more PADDs, "One of my men worked for Section 31, and he's going to go inside Starfleet HQ and try to find a way to disengage the orbital weapons…why are you smiling like that?"

"Just…it's so cool."

"What?"

"Oh…uh…nevermind, Star Trek stuff."

"Right, that show in your dimension that's just like our lives. How can I forget…"

"What? It's just…I don' t know, fun to hear something like this."

"Let's hope it stays fun."

Ann nodded silently and watched as Keyser picked up another PADD, laden with data and started reading. She felt guilty, deep down inside she knew she's not suppose to feel as if she was in a game, as if she is really playing out her fantasies in her favorite TV show. This was different, this is real life, and it's time to be serious.

"How's Jason?"

Keyser stopped reading immediately. "He's…he's having fun."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" said Keyser as an unconscious smile filled his face "he's having the time of his life."

"Told you he'd be fine."

"Yes you did…I'm…I…"

"What?"

"I'm proud of him," said Keyser, and started reading again.

Ann looked at him with interest, knowing that in front of her is a changed man, very different from the one she saw a few years ago, trying to kill her. Her smile spread wider.

"Uh…Keyser," said Alvris's voice through the comm. system, "you better come and look at this…"

---

"…Have all been destroyed, every human being, every member of the Federation, killed. Two cities, population twenty million in total; that is only the beginning, unfortunately."

Keyser and Ann ran through the door as the calm and yet disturbed face of Major Taurs looked back at them on a giant screen.

"What happened?"

"The Kraal have just destroyed Detroit and Chicago," said Alvris with apprehension and anger. "Keep listening."

Alvris walked over to the console and unfroze it.

"…However, this can all be avoided if the guilty ones reveal themselves. Without that, we will have to continue this. It is a shame that such a small group of people is causing so much pain, so much death. It's…quite unfortunate. It is my orders, if the rebels do not come out, to eliminate the non-Kraal population of this world…I would rather not do that, and live in harmony with those who have accepted our place here."

As Taurs spoke, pictures of the cities appeared on the screen, their ghostly light permeating the room. Pieces of buildings could be seen held up by seemingly nothing save their own will. Once in a while a piece of flesh could be glinted off of the streets dyed multicolored by the blood of hundreds of races. Smoke filled the usually blue sky for as far as the eyes could see. It was a horror of destruction none of the occupants of the command center have ever seen.

"So please, if you have names, or any information regarding the rebels, reveal them as soon as possible. Do not be afraid, our servicemen will not harm you. Thank you."

Alvris's shaking hand pushed the LCARS console in front of him as the message ended. He turned and looked at Keyser and Ann's flabbergasted faces and licked his lips in anger.

"We gotta do something," he said with quiet restraint.

"Yes…we will," said Keyser, still stunned.

"Now!"

Keyser quickly snapped out of it. "No! We can't, we have a schedule and a plan, we cannot go and break them now."

"Keyser," said Alvris dangerously, "the people are not going to stand for this, they're going to start rioting on their own."

"We can't let them, broadcast on as many secure channels as possible and tell our people to stay put, no matter how angry they are. I will not let them ruin our effort!"

"They're not going to listen."

Keyser starred blankly at him for a split second. "Get me Jason, now!"

A few technicians rushed to the consoles, and quickly the giant screen is filled with the panic-stricken face of Jason Hawthorne.

"Son, what's the situation like over there?"

"You won't like it."

"I thought not. Tell them to stay put, that's the most importantly thing right now."

"Are you sure?" Asked Jason, "I mean, if we can have an uprising now, why not just do it?"

"We can't win this Jason!" Said Keyser, "we need the Starfleet backup from above! A mish mash of people running around the city with phasers is not the solution!"

"But…"

"Listen, if you have that many rioters, what's stopping the Kraal from just going in and blowing up the entire city?"

"…Good point."

"You tell them that."

"Yes sir."

Jason's face soon disappeared from the screen. Keyser stood there, seemingly dumbstruck, as if the world beside him was falling apart. A moment later the fire of determination reemerged into his eyes.

"We're still on schedule!" He commanded. "Everybody continue what you were doing, we're close, don't stop now!"

---

"Time."

"Two minutes."

CaptH smiled as he heard mcmac say these words. They have been in slipstream for a month now, and they couldn't wait to get home. She looked around her and was happy to see the eager and excited faces on all of them, except NAH.

"Great," said NAH, "back to the Klingons."

"What now?" Asked Kaitz.

"Think about it, Klingons, Tribbles, sleep…"

"Oh right…I forgot about that…mostly because you haven't been complaining about it."

"Well obviously, we haven't been in Klingon space for a while. Finally got some sleep…"

"…Until now," said PG devilishly.

"Oh, you just wait," said NAH, rising from his console. "One day, the Tribbles will come for you…"

"Sit down NAH," said Adam, even though he can't help but laugh.

"Time." Said CaptH again.

"Ten seconds."

"Finally!" Said TC.

"Alright," said CaptH, "drop us out of slipstream."

"Yes. Ma'am." Said Ice in satisfaction.

---

"I'm reading a slipstream signal," said a technician.

"Kraal?" Wondered Admiral Janeway as she starred on ahead out into space.

"No…Admiral, it's the Vanguard!"

"About time," said AdmJ as a smile filled her face. "Sent to Captain Hawthorne, tell her to meet me as soon as she's ready."

"Yes ma'am."

---

Captain's Log, supplemental: We have finally returned from our mission to Kraal Prime. The morale of the crew seemed to have increased ten-fold in the time taken to drop back into normal space. I can't say I blame them, we're all explorers at heart, and whether we're in battle or on a mission, it's always good to have a field of stars in your vision.

---

CaptH walked triumphantly through the halls of the new Starfleet Headquarters; the various art forms that had distracted and entertained her previously had gained some sort of new importance with her, like paintings about their successful mission, of their triumph in battle. She made note that she was starting to feel like a Klingon.

But deep down, below the smiles, still laid the guilt of murder, of what she had done on her mission. It was just something that she will never be rid of, just like all her other experiences. She knows that, in the future, these will have uses. All experiences, no matter how bad, are important.

"Admiral?"

Admiral Janeway looked up and smiled crookedly at Captain Hawthorne as she entered her office. It was surprisingly comfy, almost like the Voyager ready room. It did not look like a part of a Klingon abode.

"Ann, it's good to you again."

"The feeling is mutual Admiral." Said CaptH as she deposited a PADD on her desk. "This is our report of the mission, I think you'll find it…surprising, to say the least."

"Really…it's a long read."

"A lot of stuff happened."

"I can see that…I'm guessing it was a success."

"Yes, in most ways."

"But?"

"Read the report Admiral, it will take a long time to explain everything."

AdmJ sat down and subtly nodded her head in understanding. "You did well, Ann, all the…most of the Admirals are very proud of you."

CaptH smiled silently. She knew, of course, why Admiral Janeway made that correction.

"Now," said AdmJ playfully, "I'm not supposed to say this…but the Admirals think you are ready to come back."

"Come back?"

"Ok, I might as well say it Ann. When this is over, it is the opinion of the Federation Council that you will be promoted to Admiral."

CaptH took this both in joy and in guilt. On the one hand, she knew that her whole crew, including her, probably deserved a whole bunch of awards, and that they indeed went though a lot. On the other, her mind dwelt on what she had to do to get there in the first place, and what she didn't do.

"I will humbly accept."

"I know you would." Said AdmJ gleefully. "Now, we have to go onto matters much more serious."

"Oh?"

"Some time ago, we sent a scout ship with a special Romulan cloak into Kraal space, specifically, Earth."

AdmJ saw the expression change on the visage of CaptH. "As it approached Earth, it intercepted a message from a rebel base on the planet, I believe you know them."

"Keyser?" Said CaptH hopefully.

"Yes, they sent along information about the Kraal strongholds, weaknesses, and their rebel framework. It was very informative."

"Unfortunately, the scout ship was destroyed on the way back."

"How did we get the information then?"

"It seems that, before the scout ship was destroyed, its captain sent the information through Kraal-captured starbases."

"That's very dangerous."

"Yes it was. However, he seemed to have came up with some kind of encryption that made the information…almost invisible to the Kraal. The data went from one starbase to another, and eventually was relayed here."

"Now what?"

"We were able to use the same technique to talk to the rebels on Earth, and we have formed a plan." Said Admiral Janeway as she got up and walked to CaptH. "Ann, we are ready for an offensive."

"About time!"

"The fleet will consist of Federation, Klingon, and Romulan ships, as well as anyone who wants to help us."

"How many ships does the Kraal have?"

"Our best estimates has it around three thousand."

"And us?"

AdmJ smiled her crooked smile. "We have eight thousand ships."

Shock spread over CaptH's face. "That's…"

"That, Ann, is the largest mustering of ships in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants."

"This is going to be enormous!"

"I know. The rebels will be working on the inside, trying to deactivate some orbital weapons platforms, meanwhile, we will distract the Kraal from above."

CaptH thought hard about this. She knew a plan was in the works, but never thought it would come so soon. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow, 0800 hours. I suggest you get ready."

---

"What do you mean you don't want to come!" Said Adam.

"Sorry Adam," said GK as he looked down at him from the Vanguard's viewscreen. "We, uh, got a little something planned.

GK winked subtly as he pointed to a confident-looking Kick sitting beside him.

"Uh…ohhhhh," said Adam, "well, it will be a shame, are you sure you want to miss the battle to end all battles?"

"Let's not go nuts here Adam," said GK, "You know this won't end the battles. Besides, I've seen a lot of them in my life, but this is special."

Adam sighed. "Alright then. You two have fun."

GK chuckled. "Oh, we will."

"Good luck guys!" Said Kick as the viewscreen returned to its normal view of space.

"Well, he's gonna get lucky." Said NAH.

"Nicely put,"

"What? He will. You know, sometimes I think what would happen if I was a non-Starfleet, my-own-rules kinda guy like him."

"You will be too busy looking after your Tribbles to get 'lucky' me thinks." Said Kaitz.

She and PG shared a mischievous laugh.

"You guys should do standup." Said NAH sarcastically.

"What?"

"Stand up."

"What's that?"

"Report!" Said CaptH as she entered the bridge, cutting off NAH's reply.

"I'm reading the fleet captain," said mcmac. "Dead ahead."

"I don't think you should use 'dead '," said Ice.

"It's a figure of speech."

"I know, but-"

"Guys, please," said CaptH. "Let me see it."

Mcmac quickly punched the appropriate commands into his console and starred in awe at the screen, along with everyone else on the bridge: thousands of ships filled their field of vision, multicolored, backed by the darkness of space and the starlight. It was as if a whole civilization was taking everything it owned with them on a long and perilous journey.

"Wow…" Said Adam.

"Yeah…no kidding," said PG.

"Let's not wait," said CaptH, barely containing her excitement. "Mr. Ice, set a course for the fleet. It seems that the battle for Earth has just began."

---

The shimmering image of thousands of Starfleet, Klingon, and Romulan ships appeared on the viewscreen as Major Taurs worked away at his console. General Barose's demeanor changed ever so slightly at this, as Taurs saw.

"As you can see sir, the Federation alliance has launched their fleet. From what we have, they seem to be heading straight for Earth."

"How did you get this data?"

"One of our scout ships was in their vicinity."

"Where is it now?"

"Sir?"

"The scout ship, where is it now?"

"It has been destroyed sir."

"Damn…"

Barose looked back at the picture of the assault fleet that's heading for his backyard and sighed heavily. He knew this was going to happen, he knew the Federation wouldn't stand for this. He also knew that he would have a very hard time in front of him.

"How long before they arrive?"

"In about seven days." Said Taurs. "What do we do sir?"

"Call in every ship we have. The battle will be made here."

"Are you sure that's wise sir? It won't leave much room for comfort."

"Yes, but here we have the orbital weapons platforms. They will have to serve as our second line of defense."

"Yes sir."

Barose looked at the ships again and knew, deep down, that this will be the deciding battle. Whether he and his family gets a new home, or be tossed out into the darkness of space, depends on the outcome.

"Seven days…"

---

The past seven days for Jason went by in a blur, filled with planning, and checking, and more planning, and more and more checking. He could not believe that he is right now in a dark alley in a dark corner of New York City, and about to attempt the biggest event in his life. He looked about him: surrounding him were all sorts of people, dark, pale, and some that looks like they are about to keel over with fright. He sighed again and sat on a box of what looked like old PADDs and wiped his face with his hands. He could not stand the pressure; he would rather the activities commence now.

"You look nervous."

Jason looked around and saw Sarah standing by him. "What are you doing here?"

"Why are any of us here?"

"I don't mean it that way…aren't you supposed to be in the compound?"

"That would be cowardice." Said Sarah as she sat on the same box as Jason. "Have you thought about what I said, about Keyser?"

"Somewhat, it's been a busy few days."

"And have you come up with a conclusion?"

Jason furrowed his brow and starred into space for a few moments. "If this goes well…I'll quit Starfleet, I'll stay with him."

Sarah nodded acceptingly.

"We'll both need a breather, and it would be better if I wasn't at a Starfleet office the whole day."

"That sounds good."

"Sir," said a voice out of Jason's communicator. "We're ready."

"We're ready here as well sir." Came another voice.

"Is it time already?" Asked Jason absentmindedly.

"Uh…yes sir." Came another voice.

Jason starred again at Sarah and a smile, similar to the one he wore more than a week ago appeared on his face. "You're good."

"I know."

"Alright troops," said Jason, "You know the drill…let's take back what's ours."

---

Keyser's eyes twitched as he looked on at the darkened Starfleet Headquarters looming in front of him and his men. He has never been intimidated by it, not even when he was there for his trial; now so long ago he could not even describe it. He breathed a heavy breath and brought his hands through his hair, once more finding gray hairs as he looked at his hands afterwards.

"I'm getting too old for this…" said Keyser.

"No you're not," said Alvris and Ann simultaneously.

"Are you sure you want to be here? It's going to get ugly," said Keyser to a surprisingly calm Ann.

"Of course it's going to be ugly. You just make sure this is a foolproof plan. Ok, what do we do again?"

Keyser shared a look with Alvris. "Ok, We'll go running out there and dodge as much weapons fire as we can, main while Jackson will sneak in using a small instability in the shields and disable the shielding around the building and the orbital weapons platforms.

"Right, dodge weapons fire. Seems easy enough."

Keyser looked at Ann and signed. "I'm not going to lie to you…I _really_ don't want you here."

"Nonsense."

"Come on…just get out of here, go back!"

"No!"

Ann starred at Keyser with the best death-stare she can conjure up, and the slightly apprehensive look on Keyser's face told her that it seemed to have worked.

"Alright…" Said Keyser. "What about you, how are you holding up?"

"Keyser," said Alvris, "take a breather, rest your mind…this is going to be tough, best to, you know, enjoy the calm before the storm."

"Good point."

"Yeah…good thing we have these biosign-hider-things that you dug up from the Section 31 closets." Said Alvris, looking at a small patch on his shoulder.

"Very useful in the old days, we could be…anywhere."

"What are you saying…?" Asked Alvris suspiciously.

"Use your imagination Alvris."

"We got a signal," said George beside them, "It's Jason…they've started."

Keyser's face switched from boisterous to defiant. He picked up his communicator and held it up to his mouth. "Jackson, this is Keyser, are you ready?"

"Yes sir," said a clear voice from the other end.

"Well then, let us begin."

---

Captain's Log, supplemental: I don't know how we held up this long, but our excitement, as well as fear, has persisted up till now, ever since we left Klingon space. Either way, we have arrived in the Solar System. Throughout this war my crew, as well as every other crew of every other ship, has performed beyond my expectations, they really are the best humanity, hell, the galaxy has to offer. Hopefully this will all bear fruit in this decisive battle.

---

The Assault fleet dropped out of warp near orbit of Jupiter as a body of metal more massive than the planet itself. Silently it floated through space, seemingly harmless. One by one the crews of the ships of the Alliance, be they Federation, Klingon, Romulan, or whoever else, looked upon their target: a small, almost insignificant blue planet hanging silent in space, with a wall of darkness blocking it from them.

The crew of the Vanguard is among them, and they too stared out at the planet they haven't stepped on in more than a year. An almost sigh of relief ran through the bridge.

"Beautiful," said Adam.

"She sure is," said CaptH. "We've waited a year for this, all of us."

"Let's hope we win," said NAH.

"Yeah, let's hope. How long before we enter weapon's range?"

"Approximately five minutes." Reported mcmac, still as calm as ever.

The next five minutes crawled by, each and everyone of the crew examined their instruments, their tools, to make sure that every single thing is up to scratch, and is ready. The bridge crew watched as the small blue dot of the face of the Earth grew larger and larger upon the viewscreen.

"Weapons range in five…four…three…"

"All hands, red alert, battlestations!" Commanded CaptH. "PG, fire at will!"

"Aye aye."

---

The sound of voices rang through New York City, as well as every other place of population on the East coast of North America as tens of millions of people poured into the streets. Phaser fire flared across the air, striking random structures that just happened to be in the way. Kraal guards looked on as they saw their new homes destroyed, but did little in protest, knowing that for the moment, they have lost. They ran from the crowds, and those who stayed and fought was cut down inevitably.

The sound of people grew louder and louder, and soon the streets were inundated by their bodies firing at anything that had a remote resemblance to anything Kraal.

Jason Hawthorne swam through the crowd, dodging blasts of phaser fire as, nonetheless the Kraal fought back from secured places. It was chaos, he thought, but he knew better than to stop them. Around him he saw the citizens of Earth ran into any place they could and ousting the Kraal hiding therein. Many started to run into the buildings. It was as if the people were squeezing the Kraal from any place they thought they would have a chance of staying alive.

---

"They are within weapon's range," said Major Taurs's voice through the comm. system as Barose watched the battle overhead.

"Fire at will!" He ordered.

"We'll try our best sir!"

Barose watched intently as the ships exchanged weapons fire, his face screwed up in concentration. He knew he shouldn't be down here, but up there, in space. But all of his troops had thought that he would be better on the ground, in case something happens there.

He spun around in his seat as a young soldier blasted through the door. "Sir!"

"What is it?"

"We have attacks across the Eastern seaboard, millions of people, everywhere!"

Barose hesitated for a split second. "Send in the fighters, attack from the air!"

"Yes sir!"

The soldier was just about to dash from Barose's office as the whole building shook. The general turned instinctively to the window and watched as a streak of phaser fire slashed the air in front of it.

"What the hell is going on out there?" He muttered to himself. "Guards, report!"

"We have rebels attacking the building sir!" Said a guard through the comm. system.

"Why did we not detect their lifesigns!"

"I don't know sir…"

"Stand by, fire at will!"

"Yes sir!"

Barose turned to the soldier standing by the door and snatched up his Phaser rifle from under his desk and cocked it. "Well soldier, let's go."

The young soldier nodded silently and he and Barose departed from his office and headed up the corridor. Watching all of this unfolding was Jackson as he hid silently behind a corner in the deserted corridor. He looked around, and kept walking.

---

The Kraal soldiers watched atop the rooftop of Starfleet HQ as a rag-tag group of rebels ran across the grounds, each carrying a weapon of some sorts, and randomly blasting away at the shimmering force field surrounding the building. They didn't look long before they pointed their own weapons down and begin firing.

Keyser ran this way and that, dodging the falling rain of energy as the ground around him was splattered with small craters. Once in a while, he would look upwards, as the Kraal weapons had no problem penetrating the force field and headed for him or one of his comrades. Screams of pain filled his ears and the stench of death filled his nose, but he didn't care, he just kept running, firing, and dodging.

Above him and his group General Barose emerged from a door onto the roof and looked down with determined eyes at the field of dead bodies that lay beneath him. He paused for a moment, took up his rifle, and started to fire.

---

"Get down!" Yelled Alvris as he dived at Keyser.

The two fell down meters from where Keyser was standing, and where now a smoking crater made its presence known.

"Thanks pal," said Keyser as he quickly dodged out of the way as another bolt of energy came at them.

For a moment a shimmering noise filled the air and both Keyser and Alvris looked instinctively at Starfleet HQ: the force field buzzed with activity, and in a split second, like a gorgeous sculpture being revealed, the force field was pulled back, and itself vanished.

At the same time both Alvris and Keyser stood up and fired at the building, blowing chunks out of its walls. Alvris looked at Keyser as he smiled for the first time since the battle started.

---

"Why's our force field down!" Shouted Barose as he dodged a pulse of Phaser fire.

"I…I don't know sir!"

"Get down to the control room! Get it back up!"

"Yes…yes sir!"

---

Fire erupted out of the windows of Starfleet HQ as hundreds of phasers were aimed at the already-darkened building. Keyser could just see the delighted looks on his men's faces as the building in front of them began to tear itself apart at the base.

Up on the roof Kraal soldier after Kraal soldier fell backwards as the expertly trained aim of the rebels below targeted them. Among them General Barose crouched down behind the ledge that he and his soldiers were resting on and closed his eyes, as if in prayer. He then quickly got up and aimed his rifle down, an action that caught the eye of Keyser Soze.

For a moment time stood still. Keyser watched as a bolt of energy came out of the end of Barose's rifle and made its way through the air, blistering the air with its deadliness. He didn't know how he did it, but his eyes tracked the bolt as it headed for his men. Slowly the bolt got closer and closer to his group; there was no time to warn them, there was no time for anything…

"Ahhh!" Yelled Ann as she was forced backwards as the bolt of energy hit her squarely in the chest.

Her screams echoed in Keyser's mind, and it appeared to be the only sound ever to exist in his world. He didn't even notice that he has dropped his phaser and started to run. Behind him Alvris looked at him in surprise and yelled for him, but Keyser did not perceive.

He ran to Ann as she lay there, bleeding on the battered ground. No words came between them at first; all there was was Ann's incoherent mutter as pain spread through her body. She slowly focused her thoughts and starred up at a horrified Keyser, and a subtle smile filled her face.

"It…It was…fun…oh my."

Her eyes stayed open as her head lolled sideways out of Keyser's arms, and fell to the ground, splattering it with blood. Keyser crouched there, not moving at all like a statue as Alvris ran to him.

"Keyser!" Yelled Alvris, "get moving! Don't act like a target!"

Alvris finally stopped as he looked upon the scene: Keyser, his knees on the ground, starring at an empty spot some distance away from Ann's dead and bleeding body. He didn't know what to do, or what to say, except for the logical.

He grabbed Keyser's arms and hoisted him up, feeling as if Keyser's entire body has given up hope. In a flash a voice far louder than anything he has heard came from behind him.

"_BAAAROOOOSE!"_

Alvris dropped Keyser to the ground as his face twitched in anger, his hands scrunched tightly in a throbbing fist.

"K…Keyser?" Said Alvris.

In a split second Keyser's face switched from that of a lunatic to someone that was calm. He stood up slowly and faced Alvris. Behind him the shimmering sound reappeared, and Alvris watched as the force field went up again, covering Starfleet HQ.

"Oh no…"

He watched as more bolts of energy started to rain down on them, and more of the troops gunned down.

"Keyser…I don't think this is working."

Keyser starred at him intently, not saying a single word.

"We have to retreat!" He yelled.

Alvris starred at Keyser as the casualty climbed, and he did not know what to do. Their leader seems to have been immobilized. Finally, Keyser raised his arms and grabbed Alvris tightly on the shoulder.

"They're yours now," he whispered. "You are in charge."

"But…"

"GO!" Keyser yelled.

"RETREAT!" Yelled Alvris as he looked back at Keyser, who stalked towards Ann, bent down, and picked up her Janeway-esque Phaser rifle.

---

Barose was reloading his rifle when he heard his name ring out across the lands below him. He knew exactly whom it was who did it, and he knew that it hurt him, some how. As if the name reached into his heart and smashed it. Images flashed over his minds' eye: the pictures of dying children in the dead cities that his troops decimated, the field of bodies that he first saw as he emerged onto the roof, it all came back to him, lost for a time in his mind as he fired down below.

He opened his eyes again and starred on ahead as the sun and blue sky greeted him. This is all wrong, he thought, all of it. This is no time for death…

"General!"

Barose looked sideways at the same soldier as before. "What is it?"

"Look sir!"

Barose turned around and starred down into the grounds: all he saw were motionless bodies, and smoke that permeated the field. It was as if a dense fog came through, wiping the life out of all of the people that lay now at the foot of Starfleet HQ.

"Where did they go?"

"They retreated sir…we won."

Barose's mind froze at these words as the thought from before returned after a moment's interruption. He could not stand the amount of things that were wrong, that was not suppose to happen, but did because of fate's choice.

"Good job everyone," he said in monotone. "Let's get back in and secure the building."

"Yes sir!"

---

"Forward shields buckling!" Yelled mcmac as the ship shook around him.

CaptH picked Adam off of the ground as another powerfully volley smashed into the hull. Ice saw clearly amidst fires and ashes the pieces of hull plating skirting past the viewscreen, behind which was the massive arena of ships now duking it out over the blue planet behind them all.

"We have more than twice their ships!" Yelled Adam as he tried to maintain his balance. "Why the hell are we loosing so bloody badly!"

"It's the orbital platforms!" Yelled PG. "They keep destroying our frontlines!"

"The rebels should've taken them out by now," said Kaitz, dodging a blast from her console.

"Why aren't they!"

"There could be many reasons," said CaptH, her voice filled with apprehension at what might have happened to Jason and Keyser.

"Then we'll take them out ourselves!" Yelled TC.

"Yeah, but the Kraal ships are in the way," said PG again, instinctively firing weapons. "And before you ask, we need a frontline to take care of them!"

"There is no way we can get them from the outside," said CaptH.

"What do you propose?"

"Mcmac," said CaptH, relatively calm amidst the gloom "am I safe to assume that the weapons platforms are controlled from the ground?"

"It appears so Captain."

CaptH looked sideways at Adam and both had the same idea. "What do you think Adam?"

"I think if it works, don't fix it."

"Exactly what I'm thinking."

"What?" Said NAH.

"Mr. Ice, set a course for Earth." Ordered CaptH.

"Uh…what?"

"Take us into the atmosphere."

"But Captain," said Ice in alarm. "There is the shield in the way!"

"We'll just have to punch our way through," said CaptH with a lopsided smirk. "Full speed ahead!"

---

The Kraal guards watched as thousands of rebels poured forth through the city of New York and headed for their direction. Immediately they armed their rifles and started to fire, but it was no use, there were too many of them.

Jason Hawthorne ran along side his comrades as they ran over the dead bodies of the guards, and headed for their target: the Kraal stronghold. It was a massive compound with walls that are thick with armor. They started firing immediately as they neared the structure.

"Target one spot!" Yelled Jason.

At his command five-hundred phaser beams concentrated their fire on a spot no larger than a window, and within moments a massive explosion ripped through the surface of the building, and debris fell amongst the crowds, who picked up the pieces and held them up in laughter and triumph.

"Inside!" Yelled Jason.

He watched as the hundreds of rebels that came with him ran into the building through the pulverized door. Behind him he can still hear the yells and explosions emitting from the besieged city, with smoke plumes rising every once in a while. A smile filled his face as he thought about what he has just done, and what he has accomplished. He saw the similar smiles on his comrades as they waved at him from windows within the compounds.

"Victory!" One of them yelled. "We have victory!"

Jason waved back, and then quickly stopped as he heard a sound that he did not hear before during this event. Fearing the worst he tilted his head upwards and the fear within him was realized: dozens of Kraal fighters flew over him, unleashing their wrath on the grounded city beneath them. Jason watched as weapons were fired downwards, at no apparent targets. At the same time a loud explosion would appear, followed quickly by screams that pierced Jason's already frayed wits.

Similarly, the people waving from the windows watched in horror as their fellow comrades were blown off of the streets, and they saw buildings bursting into flames, and collapse, probably onto other comrades who were not so lucky.

"What do we do now!" Asked Sarah as she peeked through one of the upper windows.

"Take up arms!" Yelled Jason. "Find any weapons you can from inside the building! Preferably something big!"

---

General Barose and a fellow soldier walked around the smoky corridors of Starfleet HQ as more soldiers ran around them, trying to secure the building. His mind was restless. For a while he had thought the rebellion might be dying down, which is obviously not the case.

"So what happened?" Asked Barose as one of his advisors appeared ahead.

"A rebel had infiltrated the building sir, and he disabled the shields." he said.

"Where is he now?"

"He has been captured."

"Question him, find out where the rebels are hiding."

"Yes sir."

Barose's mind was just settling when a blast of phaser fire hit the wall behind him. He turned around quickly to see dead Kraal guards flying out of the corridor that he just passed, along with scorch marks on the wall.

"Stay here general," said the soldier as he ran to investigate.

The soldier walked slowly to the corner and peeked into the corridor. In a split second that part of the wall was blown to bits, and the young soldier flew through the air, and hit the ground by Barose's foot, who stared at it with unblinking eyes. Slowly, the sound of footsteps amidst the unusual silence crept into his ear and he looked up.

Standing there, rifle raised, stood the man that will never forget. His face, chiseled into a sign of anger and danger, was staring at him and filled with hate.

"Keyser…" Barose whispered.

Keyser Soze raised his rifle and fired. The bolt of energy cruised through the air in almost no time, only to scrape Barose's cap as he dodged out of the way. In a sprint the general ran into the nearby command center and locked the door just as the wall beside it was turned into rubble.

An uncharacteristic fear crept into him. He was just another rebel; he told himself as he reached for his own rifle by the wall, he was just another rebel. Slowly he raised it and pointed at the door, waiting for the inevitable blast from Keyser's phaser that will break it down.

---

The ship shook around Captain Hawthorne and her crew as the Vanguard plunged towards Earth through a sea of capital ships. Some of the crewmen were mesmerized by the massive vessels now flitting from one place to another as they watched through the windows and viewscreen. Sweat tumbled down Ice's face as he concentrated on the well being of the ship.

"Almost clear…" reported mcmac.

"Come on…" Said Adam.

Like a gazelle escaping a pack of lions the Vanguard emerged from the massive fleet battle that's now safely behind it.

"We got incoming from the weapons platforms." Reported PG.

"Evasive maneuvers," said CaptH. "PG, I want full power to weapons, and target the shielding straight ahead of us."

"Yes ma'am."

"Mr. Ice, best speed, straight and steady."

"Yes Captain."

"Are you sure about this?" Whispered Adam as the ship shook from a hit from a weapons platform.

"Not at all."

Earth loomed on the viewscreen straight ahead of them as they plunged closer and closer towards it. They could make out the clouds, the sea, and the mountains that were getting closer and were becoming sharper.

"Ten thousand kilometers to the shielding," said mcmac.

"I don't like this…" said NAH.

"How is the shielding?"

"It is weakening," said PG, "but I don't know if it will be enough."

"It will have to do," said CaptH. "On my command, switch all power to forward hull integrity and shielding, understand?"

"Yes ma'am."

The bridge crew starred forward now once more, as the boundaries of Earth no longer exist. All that's left now is a plane face of turquoise, with intermittent shield flares as random weapons made their way towards Earth.

"One thousand kilometers," said mcmac.

"Everyone brace yourselves!"

"Five hundred kilometers…two hundred…fifty…"

"Come on! Let's get this over with!" said TC.

"Now PG!"

Weapons immediately ceased as the forward sections of the Vanguard smashed into the weakened shielding. For a moment space itself seemed to warp as the two massive objects collided. Shimmers spread across the shielding, forming a ring of disturbance that spread across the skies above the Sahara desert. Within the Vanguard sparks flew across the already gloomy atmosphere as almost everyone lost their footing. The ship groaned under the collision, but CaptH watched, and felt as the stress was quickly alleviated.

"Report!"

"We made it through captain!" Said mcmac, finally with joy spreading across his usually blank face.

"I'm detecting a signal from San Francisco that's targeting the weapons platforms…it's coming from Starfleet HQ!" Said Kaitz.

"Alright then," said CaptH in triumph, "set a course for San Francisco!"

---

General Barose waited as he leaned against the command console for Keyser's entrance. For what felt like hours he clutched his rifle, listening for any sounds, but none came. He furrowed his brow both in fear and in anger and clutched the rifle closer to his chest.

It happened almost too fast for him to notice: the door he faced was blown open and hundreds of fragments of the door flew through the room, one smashing the window in a surprisingly feeble clatter, and in a flash he raised his rifle and fired into the dusty gloom of what remained of the doorframe, and saw the lights as the bolts of energy smashed into the wall opposite. He panted heavily and stopped firing as the mist and dust crept into the command center.

He strained his eyes and watched for any sign of Keyser, but there wasn't any. He then lifted his rifle and fired again as what looked like a face peeking out from the dilapidated doorframe.

Again, nothing.

He can feel himself shaking, hear as the various components of his rifle crash into other components as it shook. Then in a flash, a human figure dashed into the room. Barose fired and fired his rifle, and before he knew it it was thrown out of his hands, and Keyser Soze was on top of him, his rifle pointed straight at his face.

"You killed her," said Keyser in a deadly whisper.

Barose didn't speak a single word.

"It's too late for you my friend…"

---

"We're nearing the East coast of North America Captain," reported mcmac. "I'm detecting weapons fire."

They watched on their screen as the blue ocean shot past below them. Up ahead smoke bellowed across the sky as the east coast burned.

"Jason…" muttered CaptH.

"I'm also detecting Kraal fighters."

"That's not fair!" Said NAH. "Can't we take them out or something?"

"Just give the word Captain," said PG.

"PG, fire at will."

"Yes ma'am!"

---

Jason watched in horror as the Kraal fighters ripped the skyline facing him to shreds. His heart grieved for those he knew who were consumed in the fireballs, or crushed in the tumbling of the massive skyscrapers. They didn't have anything against the fighters, and he kept watching, helpless to do anything.

"Jason!" Yelled Sarah from above him. "We have to do something!"

"We don't have the weapons necessary!"

"We can't just stand and watch!"

Jason tried to answer but he couldn't, he knew he couldn't. His mind was blank, he didn't have a single idea as to how to take care of those fighters and help those now being blasted apart in the heart of the city.

"Look!" Yelled Sarah.

"What?" Yelled Jason back.

"Just look!"

Before his eyes a mighty starship gleamed into view, its massive hull shining in the sunlight as it grazed the remains of the ancient Empire State Building. In a few seconds phasers came streaming out of it, striking every fighter within reach.

"Who is that!" Yelled Sarah.

"It's…it's my mom!"

---

"I think we underestimated these fighters," said PG as the console beside him exploded in flames.

"Keep targeting them," said CaptH, "draw them away from the city!"

The ship shook again as a single fighter flew at break-neck speed across the viewscreen, momentarily blocking the view of the smoking city beneath them.

"Two left!"

The Vanguard A twisted slowly over the city as it attempted to bring down the last fighters. The rebels and civilians below watched in amazement as the massive structure let loose its arsenal, and at last rejoiced as the last fighter came crashing down.

"That's all of them!"

"We're being hailed captain…it's coming from what used to be the east coast communications hub." Said TC.

"On screen."

Jason's face appeared on screen, his face stained with soot and sweat. "I knew it was you!"

"Jason!" Said CaptH in utter amazement. "I thought…I thought this building was taken over-"

"We took it back!" Said Jason in glee. "It's good to see you again!"

"You too son," said CaptH hurriedly. "Now, if you don't mind…"

"Oh, I'm guessing you're heading for Starfleet HQ…I won't keep you. Good luck mom."

"Same to you."

Jason's smiling and fatigued face disappeared from the viewscreen.

"That's a good sign," said Adam.

"Let's hope so. Mr. Ice, continue on course."

"Yes ma'am."

---

"She seems like a nice lady," said Sarah, standing beside Jason.

"She is…she sure is."

Jason slowly strolled to the window as Sarah followed close behind. In front of him he could see the clear sky of New York City, devoid of any enemy fighters. He could hear, just barely, the cries and yells of those that now celebrated their freedom from the Kraal within the towering remains of the buildings.

"We won," said Sarah.

"Yes…yes we did." Said Jason, a gradual smile coming over his face.

---

Barose hardly breathed as he stared down the barrel of Keyser's gun. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and a flood of fear swept over him. He perceived the hate within Keyser Soze, his eyes blazing with the desire to kill him.

"Are you going to kill me?"

In a flash Keyser pressed the trigger, but moments before that Barose's hand flew up and knocked the rifle from his hands, resulting in a small crater on the floor mere inches beside his ear. In the next moment Barose's fist came at Keyser's face and made contact, forcing him up and back onto the floor at his feet.

Keyser's face glimmered in the light from the window as it scrunched up in hate. He then jumped from the ground and snatched at Barose's head, who dodged and landed another punch in Keyser's stomach.

Within him Keyser knew that he was loosing, that his precarious plan of walking in, shooting him, and then leaving has already been foiled. There was nothing more to do than fight.

The two men stared at each other as hate now burned in both's eyes. Within seconds they ran towards each other, both's hands locking on each other's necks. Blood rushed into their faces as they never stopped starring at each other. Sweat rolled down their faces as gagging noises issued from their crooked mouths. In a move Keyser swung his arms sideways, causing both to collapse onto the floor. In the next second a fist collided with Barose's face and blood gushed out of his nose.

"Where are my guards!" Yelled Barose.

"I killed him all." Said Keyser dangerously as he headed for his phaser rifle.

Hearing this, energy flooded back into Barose's body, and he got up and lunged at Keyser, again knocking both of them back onto the ground. Slowly Keyser extended his arms and tried to reach the phaser rifle.

"They were my friends!" Breathed Barose.

"How," panted Keyser as he struggled with Barose "could anyone be your friend?"

Barose's face flushed and with one clean swiped he batted the phaser rifle from the reach of both of them. The rifle's lights blanked out as it smashed against the nearby wall and fractured.

Keyser then raised his elbow and knocked Barose in the chest and off of him, and kicked him in the shoulders. He panted as bruises appeared on his cheeks, and pain ran through him. He could feel old age starting to creep over him once more, making him weak.

Barose slowly got up onto his knees and looked upwards at Keyser. "Perhaps…perhaps I should've killed your friend."

"W…what?"

"You don't deserve any better…"

Anger rose in Keyser as it never had before, not even when he was being possessed by Garibaldi. He raised his arm upwards as if it contained within some kind of machine, making him stronger, and brought it down on Barose's forehead. His eyes twitched as he watched him slide backwards into a wall, and then clearly fainting as a small streak of blood came down over the target.

Keyser panted and continued to stare at the figure now pitifully lying in front of him. Time seemed to slow down, or return to normal from when it seemed to quicken moments before. He stared around the ruined room and breathed into the dust now permeating it. The rage that had filled him seemed to have diffused a bit.

He walked slowly around the room and shook his head frequently to digest what just happened. He had run into the building…blown up a door…it was all seeping away from him.

Near the wall that had a window in it he spotted the rifle that Barose had carried. Instinctively he bent down and picked it up, felt its sharp yet gradual surface in his hands and looked back at Barose, who was still unconscious and who now had a line of blood over his face.

Keyser slowly raised the rifle and aimed it at Barose's head. For a moment he didn't do anything, but merely stared at the decorated general. His breath started to quicken again and his hand started to shake. He saw that something had changed in Barose, something he can't put his finger on.

Slowly a sound started to permeate the room. Keyser slowly lowered the rifle and listened for it, his head now completely diffused of thought, of action. He turned around slowly and looked out of the open window and there he saw it: a small streak of blue-gray flying towards him in the distance. He squinted his eyes and immediate his mind returned to him, along with a slight smile of hope.

In the next moment the air was sucked out of him as a bolt of energy struck him in the middle of his backside. Slowly the pull of gravity overcame his balance and he collapsed onto the ground, barely conscious, but enough to see an injured Barose starring down at him, holding another rifle.

---

"Approaching San Francisco," said mcmac.

"Good to see it again," said Ice.

"Analysis?"

"I'm detecting hundreds of dead bodies on the grounds," said mcmac, quite disturbed by this.

"The rebel attack…" muttered Adam.

"Starfleet Headquarters itself is heavily damaged, and there is a force field surrounding it," reported PG. "Should've seen that one coming."

"Is that where the signal is coming from?" Asked CaptH.

"You can bet on it."

CaptH sighed. "PG, lock weapons, and TC, open a channel."

"Aye aye"

"Channel open."

"This is Captain Hawthorne-"

"I know who you are," came Barose's voice through the comm. system, cutting her off. "And I know what you are planning to do."

"Barose…"

"I suggest you scan the building for life signs."

CaptH looked at mcmac. "Do it."

"Scanning…I'm reading only three Kraal life signs…and two human."

"Prisoners?"

"Of course," came Barose's voice again, "in fact, I have one of them right here beside me…you should know his name…"

A name came right away to CaptH as she listened to his words, and her face showed it. "Kaitz, scan for Keyser's chip's signal."

"Captain?"

"Just do it."

"Alright…Uh oh…"

"Is it there?"

"Yes."

"So now you know," said Barose. "I also have a rifle pointed at his head. I suggest you leave immediately."

CaptH sighed and starred at the floor, her mind concentrating. "NAH," she whispered, "do we still have the tractor beam?"

"Yes ma'am."

"On my command, target the roof of Starfleet HQ."

"I don't understand…"

"Just do it." Said CaptH. "Barose, I have some news for you."

"You do?" Said Barose with amusement in his voice.

"Yes. The Vanguard just returned from a most perilous journey…to your homeworld."

Barose's tone changed immediately. "How could you?"

"We found a way. When we were there, we witnessed a strange thing…your planet, Barose, has been destroyed."

Heavy breathing came over the comm., but no words.

"Now NAH!" Ordered CaptH.

---

Keyser's hatred returned as he listened to Barose's gratified words with CaptH, but another emotion soon rose to the surface: relief. He had not heard about CaptH since Terry told him her whereabouts, and now hearing her voice made him content. The hate for Barose seemed to ebb as her words moved over him. The pain of the rifle pressing into his head seemed to fade a bit as well. He barely heard what Barose or CaptH had said, but it didn't matter to him. It had seemed that, some where in his head, the death of Ann was being replaced by the arrival of CaptH, even though it seemed wrong to him.

His mind was blissful for a split second before he realized Barose's rifle loosening its grip on him. He slowly looked up and saw the disbelief over Barose's face and his quickened breath.

"Impossible," he whispered, "I…I would've known."

In a flash Keyser smacked his rifle away and punched Barose in the side. He watched as the general fell onto the ground, his mouth sputtering as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard.

Suddenly the ground beneath them both started to shake and creak. Keyser looked around him as the dust was kicked up again. He had no idea what was happening. In the next moment he felt a hand tightening over his throat from behind as Barose leapt up once more. He tried to turn, with no avail.

In front of him the image of the room seemed to shimmer as his vision faded and used up air filled his lungs. He felt his limbs becoming limp beside his torso and the heat of Barose's breath on the back of his covered neck. Slowly he collapsed onto the floor, trying his best to release the hold on him, but he couldn't. He didn't know if it was real or not, but he could just make out, through his dying eyesight, cracks on the walls, spreading towards them.

---

"It's working…I'm reading multiple fractures along the building's walls." Reported mcmac.

"Where did you get this idea?" Said Adam incredulously as he starred at the viewscreen.

"Just popped into my head," said CaptH. "How are the shields?"

"They're still holding."

"Full power to engines"

"Aye aye"

The bridge crew watched the viewscreen as the roof of Starfleet HQ started to waver and shake beneath them, its color shaded blue as the Vanguard's tractor beam sprayed over it.

"The shields are weakening…"

With a loud crack the roof came off of its foundation. Attached to the Vanguard, it swayed in the wind and turbulence, fragments of it falling onto the ground some dozen meters below.

"We can't keep this up," said NAH as the ship swayed with the motion of the severed Starfleet HQ roof.

"Drop it in the water." Said CaptH. "I'm assuming the shields are down?"

"You assume right."

"Good, PG beam down with a team, take control of the orbiting weapons platforms."

"Yes captain," said PG as he left the bridge.

"Nibbles," said CaptH. "Beam Barose and Keyser to sickbay."

"Yes ma'am."

"What about the other life signs?"

"Are they injured?"

"I don't believe so," said Kaitz.

"We'll have to leave them then. Mr. Ice, take us back up, best speed."

"Aye aye."

"Adam you have the bridge," said CaptH as she headed for the turbolift. "I'll be in sickbay."

---

Keyser slowly breathed in a ragged breath as Barose's hands tightened against his neck. He could barely keep conscious, but noticed the background noises, the starship in the air above them, the strange cracking and bending noises. He could also see the walls in front of him trembling and fracturing, but is having problems putting all of it together.

He drew another ragged breath, and dark spots started appearing in his vision. Then something happened that he did not expect, or really realize: Barose's grip relaxed and eventually his hands slipped away behind him. Keyser wavered on the spot for a moment, and collapsed backwards onto the floor, starring up onto the roof. Only, there wasn't a roof, but rather a gray blob amidst a blue sky. He could see various pieces of some material flutter through the air above him, and landing somewhere below. Blurred, he could just make out a part of the roof before it disappeared from his field of vision.

Slowly his sight returned to him, and so did fresh air. He propped himself up onto his elbow and starred at Barose, only to find him also collapsed onto the floor, with what looked like a heavy piece of the ceiling tiles on top of him and a small pool of blood beside it.

Just as he was shaking his head to clear it, he heard a familiar sound, and saw the familiar glow of transporter lights around him as he disappeared into it.

---

"We are loosing shields," said Tuvok.

"Evasive maneuvers Tom!"

"Aye aye!"

"Admiral," said Lieutenant Kim, "the weapons platforms…they've all been deactivated."

Admiral Janeway looked around at Harry as the ship rocked around them. "The rebellion must have worked."

"And not a moment too soon." Said Tom.

"Wait…the weapon's platforms are reactivating…they're targeting the Kraal ships!"

"Well then," said Admiral Janeway, "let's help it along. Tuvok, full torpedo spread!"

---

"Get me that hypospray, quick!" Yelled EWDEE as CaptH walked into sickbay.

"How are they?"

EWDEE wiped her forehead and turned to CaptH. "Keyser's got some internal bleeding; he got a phaser blast right in the back."

Horror filled CaptH as she stared down at Keyser, lying there on the biobed looking helpless, with red marks over his neck where Barose's hands had grasped.

"Is he…is he going to be alright?"

"I think so, but it may take some time."

CaptH nodded silently. "And Barose?"

"Contusions across his body, as well as skull fractures. We're keeping him behind a force field, just in case."

"Are you treating him?"

"No, but he is." Said EWDEE as she pointed at the main biobed at the back of sickbay.

CaptH looked across the room at the bald-headed and grumpy looking man now scanning an unconscious Barose and raised her left eyebrow. "An EMH?"

"I had no choice."

CaptH walked across sickbay to the force field, within which stood the EMH. "Doctor, how is he?"

"I believe the young lady over there has told you his ailments," said the hologram. "He is recovering nicely."

"Uh…thank you Doctor."

"Don't mention it."

CaptH strolled back to Keyser's bed and looked at him in pity. It was a shock to her to finally seem him again. After more than a year in Klingon space, she could not help but recognize their connections to Keyser, even though that was in the past. She grasped his hand and lightly patted.

"Thanks…"

CaptH jumped. "Keyser?"

"It's…it's good to see you Ann…"

A slight smile spread over CaptH's face. "It's good to see you too old friend…"

"NOOOO!"

Both CaptH and EWDEE turned around at the mighty bellow as Barose leapt up from his bed, hand clutching his waist. Fear and anger filled his face as he starred at the cubicle surrounding him. His breathing quickened as he screwed his face up in pain.

"Please lie down!" Said the EMH.

"Go away!" Yelled Barose. "It's true…it's all true…"

CaptH walked back to the force field and starred at him through it. She did not say a single word, but merely looked at him in this vulnerable state. Barose turned and looked back at her, realization filling his expressions.

"It was you!" He said.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"You destroyed my home."

"It wasn't us."

"Yes it was…why else would you journey all the way there!"

"There were other reasons."

"Liar!"

Barose leapt off of the biobed to the frustration of the EMH and faced down CaptH to within inches of the force field. "You will pay…all of you…"

"We didn't do it," said CaptH stoically.

"I'll see you around Captain…" said Barose dangerously.

In a flash he raised his wrist and pushed a button on a hidden device and disappeared in a shimmer of light. CaptH could just make out his little smirk as he dematerialized.

"Hawthorne to Bridge!"

"We detected it captain!" Said mcmac.

"Where did he go!"

"I'm not sure…I think he went on one of the Kraal ships."

---

"Sir!" Cried a Kraal ops officer. "We are loosing a massive amount of ships!"

"This is for Kraal Prime!" Yelled Major Taurs, "keep firing!"

The Major ducked as a ceiling beam crashed onto the floor beside him, sparks flew as metal crashed into metal. Behind him he could make out the door swishing open and solemn footsteps.

"General!" Said Taurs. "You're alive!"

"Did you receive the signal?" Barose whispered.

"Yes sir…along with everyone else." Said Taurs with sadness in his voice. "So it's true then, Kraal Prime is gone…"

"I'm afraid so."

"I wonder who did it."

"It was the humans." Said Barose blankly.

"What!"

"Yes, it was them."

"Then we must avenge our fallen people!"

"Not now," said Barose, "this battle is lost. We must return to our space and regroup, we must revive the mothership."

"The mothership…"

"Yes Taurs. Send a message to all ships, beam up every Kraal citizen they can, we can't leave them on this hellish world."

"Aye sir."

"There is also a human being interrogated in what's left of the Command Center in San Francisco, beam him up as well, he will prove to be valuable."

"Yes sir."

"We will return one day," said Barose as he starred out at Earth behind the massive wall of Alliance ships. "I promise."

---

"Captain," said Adam as CaptH stepped off of the turbolift onto the bridge. "You're just in time."

"We're monitoring a massive energy wave that's sweeping the Earth." Reported mcmac.

"Source?"

"The Kraal ships," said Kaitz, "they seem to be beaming every Kraal aboard their ships."

"Captain!"

Following Ice's remark the bridge crew starred at the viewscreen. What they saw both amazed and confuse them: thousands of Kraal ships, most damaged flew away from them. A few seconds later they were all enveloped in a shimmering blue skin and disappeared into slipstream.

There is a calm over the bridge, no more weapon hits, no more sparks, no more screams of dying officers. The space in front of them was clear and stars could be made out against the dark background. There was peace.

"We won…" whispered Adam, flabbergasted.

"Yes…yes we did." Said CaptH.

---

"Hold still…" said CaptH as she straightened Keyser's tie. "There, that's better. You look great."

"Thanks…" said Keyser dreamily as he stared at her.

The last few days have gone by in a blur. One moment he was in the Vanguard's sickbay, the next he was being interrogated by the highest Admirals of Starfleet, and now he stood, alongside his son and the mother of that son, merely feet away from the auditorium, that, more than two hundred years ago held the ceremony of the charter signing for the birth of the Federation. He starred around him; he has seen pictures of the room before, during those days when human exploration was young, and things haven't changed much: the same shapes filled the walls, and the nearly-same puffy chairs lined them.

Keyser was amazed at how the public's view of him changed seemingly overnight, from mass murderer to savior, and here he is now, ready to give a speech and be presented with metals of honor. He breathed in deeply and shuffled the speech PADD in his hands, making it moist with his sweat, the screen foggy.

A thought flitted silently through Keyser's mind, that of Ann and her boisterous attitude. She was unique, he thought, and that was even more special since her double was standing right in front of him. He knew that he was going to miss her, and that she was a good friend, putting up with him after what he had done to her.

"You look nervous," said CaptH encouragingly.

"I would think that that was expected," said Keyser.

Jason grinned and looked up at Keyser, who was now silently muttering his speech, once in a while wiping his forehead. He had wanted to say something to him all this time, but was always prohibited to do so, whether by EWDEE, telling him that Keyser needed rest, or the Admirals, telling him that Keyser was busy being questions. Still, he has not forgotten his thoughts, of what he should say to him. Jason stood up silently and smoothed out his suit and clasped his father on the back, seemingly waking him out of a stupor.

"Good luck dad," he said.

Keyser smiled uncertainly. "I'll need it…I didn't know they wanted me to make a speech."

"You were the leader of the rebels."

"No I wasn't! Harry was!"

"Well, he didn't make it, did he? You're the next best thing."

"Just make sure you include him in the speech." Said Jason quietly.

"I did, several times. He deserved this metal more than me."

Keyser furrowed his brow and looked down again at his speech, now written on what seemed to be a foggy window. He didn't even realize Jason eyeing him intensely, face screwed up in indecision.

"Uh…" Jason muttered. "Look, I think I need to tell you, both of you, something."

"What is it son?" Asked Keyser, still looking at the PADD.

"I've decided…to leave Starfleet."

Keyser finally turned from his speech just in time to see that CaptH was wearing a most worried look.

"Are you sure?" Asked CaptH. "Why?"

"I want to relax a bit from now on."

"We all do," said CaptH, putting her hands on his shoulder. "That's what shore leave is for."

"This is different mom…I want to be my own man, have my own life, not one tied to any organization…at least for now."

Keyser grinned subtly. "Well, if you think that's wise…I fully support it."

CaptH looked uncertainly at Keyser. "Alright, I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do."

"Keyser Soze," said a man, coming down the stairs. "Whenever you're ready."

Keyser looked at the man and nodded. "Wish me luck."

"You won't need it," said CaptH.

Keyser took one last look at both of them, smiled and walked up the carpeted stairs into the auditorium. He realized right away that his breathing has quickened. All around him there was a sea of people, most, if not all, clapping. A pool of tears welled up in his eyes. Ever since he was released from Garibaldi's hold, he knew that he would face a problem fitting back into society, but he never thought he would make it so fast.

Both Jason and CaptH heard the applause from back in the waiting room and both grinned. They were all thinking the same thing Keyser was thinking: how he traveled so far in so little time.

"Tell me the truth Jason," said CaptH, "are you sure those are the only reasons?"

"For what?"

"For leaving Starfleet."

Jason looked into those brown eyes of his mother's and sighed. "How did you know?"

"I have my sources."

"Alright, I wanted to leave…because of what I said, but also…I wanted to spend more time with dad," said Jason as he looked once again at the auditorium above him. "Get to know him as a person, like I never did before."

"That's a good thing."

"I know."

---

Captain's Log, stardate 60680.1: It has been three months since the offensive and long-range sensor sweeps have concluded that the Kraal are indeed gone from the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Most of the crew were happy to hear this, as they should, but I'm not so certain. They had left so quickly, so suddenly. I have a feeling we're not done with them just yet. In the meantime, the Vanguard is being refitted in Utopia Planitia, and outside my window is one thing that I had hoped to not see, especially this soon after the war.

---

EWDEE sat in her room, surrounded by darkness save one small lamp by her bed, turned to minimum power. She has been staring at a picture of her and Anna featuring themselves in a rather candid shot for the past twenty minutes. The loss of one of her dearest friends seem to bring all other sorrows upon her, and made her remember all the bad things that have happened.

She looked around her room; it seemed that it belonged to someone else. EWDEE knew that she has returned changed, matured even. At the back of her mind dwelt that one thought that she knew was connected to all of this. She knew it all led back to Nikolai Boltini, the only person she ever felt affection for, perhaps, she thought, it was time for a mature relationship.

The door chimed and EWDEE got up lazily, putting down the picture, and opened the door. There stood Boltini, looking morose but at the same time friendly.

"I thought you might need cheering up," he said.

The tiniest grin flickered over EWDEE's face as she starred into the face that had been part of her life for more than half of it. "Thanks…uh…come in."

The two walked across the room that EWDEE believed to be a child's and sat on the comfy bed. For a long while neither of them spoke, but merely sat there, looking off into space. Slowly tears welled up in EWDEE's eyes and, almost instinctively, she laid her head on Boltini's shoulders, who put his arms around her. Again, neither of them spoke. Tears streaked down EWDEE's face as she reflected on all the wasted years between Boltini and her, all those days when they could've spent together, but instead were wasted by grief and manipulation.

"Thank you…" mumbled EWDEE.

Boltini nodded slowly. "So when is the Vanguard leaving?"

"Next week," said EWDEE as she brought her head off of his shoulders and wiped her face. "But I'm going to stay behind."

"What? Why?" Said Boltini in alarm. He had hoped that she wouldn't throw her professional life away because of him.

"No, it's not like that," said EWDEE with a small grin amidst the tears. "The Vanguard's only going on a short mission, five days, tops; so I thought I stay on Earth for a while, relax a bit after our time on Kraal Prime."

"And the captain agreed?"

"Yes."

"Well," said Boltini slowly, but stopped there as he starred into EWDEE's gleaming eyes.

"My home has been destroyed," said EWDEE rather blankly. "So I'll need a place to stay…"

Boltini smiled a little as he finally realized what she meant. He kept staring at her, and, again without speaking, the two understood each other. Slowly the two drew together in a hug, and EWDEE laughed amidst the tears, knowing that, for the next five days, she was going to be happy.

---

"I fold," said NAH as he lazily smacked his cards on the table.

"Well, things are definitely back to normal," said PG with a grin as he fingered his cards.

The atmosphere in the room was relaxed, comfortable, and for once everyone wore a smile. Outside the window they can see various work bees buzzing around the ship, with the metallic rails of Spacedock seemingly meters in front of them. The only sound now filling the room was that of the replicated chips clanking away in NAH's hand as he gazed absentmindedly at the wall opposite him.

"Where's EWDEE?" Asked Kaitz.

"She's in her room, I think," said Ice, "I saw Boltini go in there."

"He's gonna-"

"Don't start," said Kaitz, cutting NAH off. "I'm sure he's just there to comfort her, I mean, loosing a friend is hard."

"We've just been lucky," said mcmac.

"Yeah."

There was now silence around the table as the players thought about all that they have gone though, how they've been so fortunate to not loose anyone they loved. The only sound was that of mcmac shuffling his cards.

"How's that piece of metal coming?" Asked PG as he looked at his newly dealt hand.

"Still nothing," said Kaitz, sighing. "We're going to give it to Starfleet Research tomorrow, hopefully they'll have more luck."

"Let's hope so," said Nibbles, "something tells me that it's the missing piece of the puzzle."

"Hehe," chuckled NAH, "It's good to be home."

"It suuure is."

---

"Coffee, black,"

Shimmering, a cup of steaming black coffee appeared on the replicators pad. Admiral Hawthorne looked at it in thirst and picked it up, sipped it, and quietly walked towards the window in her ready room.

It had been a modest ceremony, something she had requested. Admiral Janeway had come early in the morning in a shuttle, and arrived on the bridge only a few minutes later. There Captain Hawthorne stood dignifiedly in front of her bridge crew, who starred on in anticipation. AdmJ had smiled crookedly at CaptH before making a small formal speech and pinning the extra rank pip on her collar. They had all clapped, and life for Admiral Hawthorne and the rest of the crew returned to normal.

Now AdmH sat on the windowsill and stared out into the peaceful space, something she hadn't seen for a long time now. But still she was agitated by what she saw, for there, right beside the Vanguard stood a ship that was still being constructed, and today was its trial run. There stood the USS Protector, the newest and most powerful ship of the Federation. It sat in its dock, gray, as if it was gloating about its own superiority. As far as AdmH could tell, it was fitted with more weapons than windows. She silently sipped her coffee as she stared unblinkingly at the beast.

The door chimed.

"Come in," said AdmH.

Adam stepped over the threshold, looking slightly cheery. "Ready?"

"For what?" Said AdmH as she got off of the windowsill.

"Remember? Keyser invited us to see Alvris's baby."

"Oh right." Said AdmH, "but we barely know them."

"We're friends of Keyser though," said Adam, wearing a boyish grin. "This Alvris fellow considers us his friends too."

"Makes sense," said AdmH as she replicated another cup of coffee. "You go on ahead, I have to finish something here."

"Ok." Said Adam as he headed for the door.

"Adam," said AdmH, suddenly remembering something. "I'm sorry About Ann."

"Oh yes…" hesitated Adam. His life has become so hectic that he had barely any time to think about her. "They said she died fighting."

AdmH smiled encouragingly.

Adam nodded. "I'll remember her… oh, and congratulations on the promotion."

"Thanks"

AdmH returned to the windowsill as the door behind her swished closed, signaling Adam's exit, her thoughts returning to the warship in front of her that filled her with dread. Throughout history, this has been the trend, thought AdmH; it was inevitable that Starfleet would head in this direction, becoming more of an empire than a democracy.

The door chimed again. "Come in," said AdmH, without even looking.

Jim staggered in with a PADD in his hands and a mournful look on his face. He stared at AdmH through a somewhat forced smile as she read his Engineering report.

"Well done," said AdmH.

"Thank you Admiral."

AdmH looked at Jim for a second and knew instantly what's bothering him. "Jim…some of the senior staff is going to a baby…thing, do you want to go?"

"If you don't mind admiral," said Jim softly, "I'd rather stay here and work on the ship…"

Jim turned to go, but not before being grasped on his shoulder by AdmH. "Admiral?"

"It's them, isn't it?"

Jim's eyes bore into hers for a few seconds before a somber look came over his face. "Yes…I know what you said Admiral, to let go…I can't, they were like family!"

"I know I know," said AdmH, patting him on the back. "It's hard, very hard."

"But…but I'll try Admiral, I swear I will."

AdmH glimpsed the determination in both Jim's voice and face as she thought of her own ordeal with dealing with EWDEE's supposed death, and understood that here was a man that, in some aspects, was stronger than her.

"Good luck Jim," said AdmH quietly.

"Thank you Admiral," said Jim, wiping a single tear from his eyes. "If you don't mind though, I would really like to work on the ship for a while."

"Not at all Jim, not at all."

"Thank you." Said Jim as he left her ready room.

For a few more seconds AdmH starred at the door and thought about all that she had gone through in the last two years, when time seemed to just rush past. All the grief she and her crew had suffered, as well as those times when there were laughs. Slowly a grin crossed her face. These were all valuable memories, she told herself as she strolled silently to the window again. They have been part of something big, something life changing, something that altered the face of the Alpha and Beta Quadrant. She watched as the USS Protector slid out of its Spacedock and flew away from her, its powerful form radiating dominance, and she knew, in her heart, that a new age in the chronicles of the Federation has begun.

The End 


End file.
